What it Means to Miss New Orleans
by RatedRReanna
Summary: SEQUEL TO THINGS WE LOST IN THE FIRE. Marcel and Violet have been newly resurrected after being asleep due to the Hollow. The Mikaelson's are gone and the werewolves are starting to have control. With problems rising, the pair are unexpectedly challenged with a situation that neither of them are prepared for. The former King and Queen have no choice but to fight back and win.
1. Song List

Here is the song list for the story! It is on 8tracks though it is missing some songs and I will possibly update it as I go. It is the third playlist down so there you go! You will always find other story playlists for Marcel, Violet, Them as a couple (There are two), Klaus and Violet, Bottom of the River and Things we Lost in the Fire. There are also two surprise playlists that I will post eventually as they are done but not posted because they are a surprise.

 _ **Act I: Home Sweet Home**_

 _Do you know what it means to Miss New Orleans-Louis Armstrong_

 _Kill All Your Friends-My Chemical Romance_

 _The House of the Rising Sun- Sam Cohen_

 _Give me back my Life-Papa Roach_

 _Miracle-Paramore_

 _All This Time-OneRepublic_

 _Let the Flames Begin-Paramore_

 _Get Up-Trapt_

 _Without the Bitter the Sweet…-Mayday Parade_

 _The Race-30 Seconds to Mars_

 _It's ain't over- The Rival_

 _Bad Blood-Bastille_

 _Skulls-Bastille_

 _All In-Kid Cudi_

 _ **ACT II: Moonlight Twins**_

 _Human-Trapt_

 _Family Tree-Matthew West_

 _We got us-Empire Cast_

 _The Violet Hour-The Civil Wars_

 _Bloody Shirt-Bastille_

 _You and I-PVRIS_

 _Battle Cry-Imagine Dragons_

 _ **ACT III: ?**_

 _The City is Far from Here-Aiden_

 _Audience of One-Rise Against_

 _Dying Now-Noah Gundersen_

 _Take Me Home-Jess Glynne_

 _Miss You-Mat Kearney_

 _Roads Untraveled Instrumental-Linkin Park_

 _Do or Die-30 Seconds to Mars_


	2. Bring me to Life

**Chapter 1: Bring me to Life**

 _New Orleans, Louisiana._

Vincent Griffith stood outside of the unfinished house that Marcel had once wanted to build for Rebekah Mikaelson. The time had come that he was able to resurrect one or two vampires that had been in a permanent sleep.

He wondered what they were going to think once it happened but he wasn't so confident in his abilities. Vincent usually had confidence but this was something that was bigger than him. He was breaking a spell that contained powerful magic that was now split inside of the Mikaelson family.

Freya wasn't around to help as she was too preoccupied with her family and girlfriend. She wasn't willing to help him as she still had dislike for both Marcel and Violet. Her dislike for him started when he had almost killed her brothers, Violet's was due to the fact that she attempted to kill Hope.

New Orleans had been quiet for all of the time that the couple had missed. Things were starting to get crazy again and Vincent decided it was time to bring them back. One problem he was facing is he was doing it alone and without a coven of witches. Some had refused to help him as they felt the witches were better off without Marcel or Violet's presence.

Some witches in the city had actually helped him to a degree then completely bailed. Sure he had some hold over the coven but Vincent wasn't going to force them to do anything. He and Freya had been keeping the city calm for the time but it was New Orleans, nothing was going to remain calm.

Stepping inside the ruins, he walked down to the basement with a bag in his hand full of witchcraft. He questioned if it was going to work but he had some pride in himself to know that it would. Setting the things he needed out, he started to wonder how things were going to be.

The witches had equal control of the city along with the humans, werewolves and vampires. Problem was, one group started their own business and it wasn't coming out good. Josh had watched the vampire community figure out what to do as they didn't have anyone to listen to anymore.

Klaus's compulsion had done the trick because the streets talked and of course Vincent listened. There were a couple of people who had believed that Marcel and Violet were dead but were unsure on how. Some said the Hollow, some said Klaus had killed them. The other people believed that they had fled the city because they couldn't defeat their main problem. Some said they left together, some said Violet remains in Georgia, and some said Marcel was back in with the Mikaelson's.

Grabbing a mallet, he picked it up and slammed it against the brick wall. Dust had come out so he swung harder until the brick started to crack. He had almost called Josh to come do the work as vampire strength would be greatly appreciated. Vincent wanted to keep things quiet so no one would find out what he was doing.

After some time, he had a wide enough hole to pull the caskets out but instead only pulled one out. His power was only going to let him do one at a time so he did it that way for less work. Bricking the hole back up, he knew there was going to be a consequence to this action.

He cut his hand and let his blood pour into a small bowl. Walking over to the dark casket, he wiped some on it in some sort of design while chanting something quietly. Lighting a few large, white candles, he knew what came next.

Vincent had to tap into his power and bring forth as much power as he could. After what felt like forever, he had opened his eyes and stared at the casket. His eyes were piercing it but he didn't know for sure if it had worked. It wasn't until there was a pounding and screaming from the inside that he knew it went through.

Feeling a sense of relief, he smirked to himself and got up from the spot he was sitting in. Unlatching the top casket and popping open the lid, the person inside had sat up quickly.

"Welcome back…" He spoke but the screaming had drowned him out.

Violet was still screaming until she snapped her head towards him. She stopped breathing heavily as her eyes had searched out the scenery. She didn't know where she was until she realized it was the garden. Something inside her clicked and it flooded her mind with the memory of her being locked in there for fifteen years.

Her emotions had been disconnected and she didn't feel a thing. Vincent had looked her over as she sat up perfectly straight in the coffin without moving. He knew that it must have been a scary situation for her having been dead all this time.

"Violet…" He said again as the place was filled with silence.

It took her a minute to look over at him and she cracked her head slightly. The veins had crept out from her eyes. The green that filled them began turning to red and that was his cue to quickly move out of the way. Slipping back over to his spot quick enough before she could get out fully, he threw a blood bag across the room as she zipped that way.

Ripping the bag open without a second thought and she began drinking. Vincent had watched her then grabbed a second one knowing that she wasn't going to be okay with just one. Throwing the other one in her direction, Violet tore into that one without a problem.

Once she was finished, she snapped her head in his direction wanting fresh blood rather than a cold bag. Truth was she preferred blood warm and would want nothing more than to sink her fangs in his throat. She had raced towards him but Vincent knew that it was coming so he threw his hand out to give her an aneurysm.

"Get control of yourself or else you are going back in there" He said calmly not wanting her to get the impression that he was going to be pushed over.

As she sunk to her knees in pain, he slowly stopped the spell. Violet took a deep breath when it was over but couldn't help how she felt. "Where's Marcel?" She asked.

He hadn't said a word and instead looked towards the wall. The next movement had caught him off guard as she zipped towards him again. Grabbing him by the collar, she slammed him down onto the table he used. "Wake him up now!"

Violet wasn't vamped out anymore but she had blood caked onto her shirt and running down her neck, she was always a messy eater. His face had twisted into slight pain as the table was digging into his lower back. Vincent pushed her back as she didn't have that much strength to keep a hold on him.

She didn't go after him again and instead looked towards the newly bricked up wall. Stepping over quietly, she placed her hand on it as it felt cold. Violet's eyes closed for a moment until she turned around to face him.

"I want you to bring him back, I promised that I would" She said calmly finally having a grip on herself.

"I can't do that right now…My power allowed me to awake one of you and you aren't as powerful as Marcel. You were the one to be chosen first" He said fixing his jacket watching her just in case of another surprise attack.

Tightening her jaw she realized she'd have to take matters into her own hands. "How long have I been asleep for?" She asked.

Vincent knew this was going to come as a major shock and was actually somewhat fearful to answer the question. He could handle himself against her but he really didn't want any trouble.

"You've been dead for three years…"


	3. The Memory of a Ghost

**Chapter 2: The Memory of a Ghost**

 **~~Thank you for the review! Yes, the song You and I fit perfectly for them and I knew that song needed to be put for them. I appreciate it greatly and I'm glad for the people who read and subscribed. This is going to be a challenge but I'm not stopping now!~~Reanna.**

Violet had blinked then laughed out loud once he responded back to her. She continued to laugh thinking it was all a big joke. She didn't miss three years of her life being trapped back in the garden. One of her biggest fears was missing things in her life and this looked like this was another case of it.

"Funny Vincent, tell me honestly how long it was"

He hadn't said a single word and just watched her laugh in his face. He almost had to remind himself of who he was dealing with but he didn't know that she didn't have her emotions on at the moment. Vincent had assumed that she was just having a moment after being dead for so long. Staring at her, he waited for her to stop.

She stared back at him then looked around the place. Rubbing her mouth slowly, she looked at the blood on her hand and realized that it wasn't a dream. It felt like a bad one at that so she took a deep sigh. "So you mean to tell me that I have been dead for the last three years?"

"Nothing was working. I tried the best to do whatever I could but I didn't have enough magic. This time around I had a few witches lend a hand so I had a little bit more than usual. Once I get enough I'll be able to help Marcel but at the mean time I can't"

Violet hadn't even noticed that Vincent had looked older because she was too busy wanting blood than anything else. Her skin tone had begun to turn from grey but she still needed more blood to completely look normal. Her mind didn't comprehend that she missed three years of her life. Violet hadn't said anything and instead leaned back against the newly bricked wall.

"So..." She paused speaking then glanced to her left side that was where Marcel was still buried. Violet always looked to him when she didn't know what to say so it felt like there was a piece of her missing. "Looks like I get to pull a mission impossible again"

The New Orleans witch didn't answer her not quite understanding what she was talking about or to whom. He instead watched her look lost in her own home. Violet seemed to be confused on what to do or even where to start. He wouldn't blame her though because Vincent couldn't understand her side. It seemed a little trivial for a vampire to be upset by missing years considering they lived forever and Violet lived for a long time. At the same time it had to be strange to miss out on something that would be completely different.

"This city isn't what it once was as Freya and I worked hard to change it. I figured with you being back you'd be able to help on a few loose ends that I can't seem to figure out"

Violet hadn't spoken and just turned her attention to look at him. She didn't care about figuring out his problems because they had nothing to do with her. She at times did the same thing with Marcel as she hated having to deal with his problems.

"Are you approaching a point Vincent?"

He blinked taking a deep breath. "You are still Queen of this city aren't you? Look, no one knows I'm down here or that you are even alive. I did this all by myself because I made you a promise three years ago"

"Okay Mr. hot shot, what if it takes another three years to wake Marcel? Then what? You expect me to sit around and wait for all that time?" Violet said defensively crossed her arms over her chest.

She now focused on some dust from the coffin on her sleeve.

"Then it takes three years to do so. Besides, you would wait for him. I know you well enough"

"Apparently not"

With that she turned away from the wall before taking one last glance at it. Violet was willing to do everything in her power to bring him back...Even if she had to massacre the entire town. She had also promised him that she would do whatever it takes and she never broke a promise. After he would be up she wasn't sure what she would do after that. The vampire had still seemed lost on her life feeling unsure of where to go next.

Walking past him, Violet had bumped into him on purpose. Shooting him a dirty look, Vincent really began to wonder if this whole idea was a good one at that.

Once Violet stepped out of the ruins, she looked up to the sky and closed her eyes. It had to be in the early afternoon as the sun was warm and the air was hot. She had been away from the sun for three years; she needed to celebrate her rebirth.

Zipping to the French Quarter, she stood underneath the Bourbon Street sign and took a peaceful, deep breath. A smile had appeared on her lips as she couldn't believe she was standing back home. She was willing to pay Freya Mikaelson a little visit and if she had to draw blood she would. At the moment she wanted a drink and bask in the glory of living again. Marcel could wait another hour as he had already waited three years.

Making her way to the bar she looked at every single person that passed her, momentarily forgetting that she had blood staining her shirt. The old Violet would smile widely and flash her fangs at the people that passed but at the moment she wasn't in the mood. Instead she slipped the shirt off and wiped her mouth in it before tossing it into an alley. Luckily for her she remembered that she wore a tank top underneath or things would have been awkward.

Whipping the door open, people had turned to look and she noticed that some of them shifted. She hadn't recognized their faces but apparently they knew who she swas. Two people in the back had gotten up and brushed past her, Violet noticed they were werewolves by their scent. Turning her head slowly to watch them, she slowly smiled when they looked back at her. It was nice to see that people still knew who she was.

Going to the bar, she pulled a stool out and plopped down leaning on the bar. "Vodka please, bottle and all" Violet had looked at the back of the bartenders head and paused when she realized who it was. "Josh?"

Josh Rosza had turned to his name being called and stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Violet sitting in front of him. Blinking, he tried thinking of something to say.

"Cat got your tongue? Or should I say flower..." It was a relief to her to see a face she was familiar with because she had assumed that he had left. Offering a smile, she had just stared at him waiting for a response.

He had come around the bar with a smile of his own and pulled her into an unexpected hug. Violet had lightly patted him on the back knowing that she should have expected that reaction. Josh had felt guilty ever since her death as he didn't have a chance to say goodbye to her.

Once he pulled back, he noticed that she wasn't fully herself. Besides the fact that she was too pale, she still looked like she had buried in a tomb for ages. Josh had walked back behind the bar and poured her a glass of bourbon with some blood hidden within.

"Here, this might help you look a little bit better" He slid it over to her before leaning in her direction.

"Thanks a lot…" She grabbed it and sipped at it but once she realized there was blood in the glass she drank it quickly so Josh refilled it. "I thought you would have left considering I've been dead for three years"

"Yeah, I couldn't leave this city. I told Marcel that I wasn't going to leave this city because I have a life here and I just can't leave it. Wait a minute, where is Marcel?" Josh had leaned a little past her to look towards the door.

Violet waited to answer that so she drowned the rest of the drink again. "Still dead as a doornail"

The younger vampire snapped his head in her direction not understanding it. He always saw them together and he would have assumed that they would have been brought back together. It was a rare occasion that Marcel and Violet would be separated but this looked like that completely.

Josh was waiting for her to elaborate on her sentence and she looked at him not wanting to say anything. She knew how curious Josh always was so she sighed looking away. "Vincent I guess is going to try to bring him back it's just going to be me, myself and I for a while"

He could see the change in her body movement and noticed how uncomfortable she was getting. He looked around the bar for a second then looked at her. "Come on, let's get out of here. Get you some new clothes and check your car out"

Violet's eyes lit up faintly and then a smirk formed. "You kept your promise? You really took care of my car?"

"Of course I did…But I will admit I did take it out a few times. I was feeling a little fast and furious"

The vampires had left the bar and piled into Josh's silver car. It for sure wasn't a Ferrari but it was still pretty decent. He had driven through the city and across the river. Violet had stared out the window having flashbacks of everything she experienced. The first time she was locked away for fifteen years, she was angry at Marcel for locking her up. This time she missed three years but felt more sorrow than anything else.

Arriving at the old penthouse, they got out and Violet stood outside of the building. Josh was walking ahead of her then stopped when she wasn't behind him. "Hey…You coming?

She had nodded and slowly walked behind him. Once they entered it, they both stepped inside of the living area and she paused yet again. "You took care of this place?"

Josh had closed the doors and stepped around her to open the window. "Yeah, I usually come here a couple times a week to make sure everything looks the same. I wasn't sure when you guys would be back so I wanted to make it sure it was still standing by the time you both came back. Since you're here you might as well stay here"

Her eyes had scanned the whole room and she thought of a few things in her head. "I need to repaint this place before Marcel comes back, I'm sick of this blue and grey. A nice purple would do…Or a darkish red. What do you think?"

After pulling the curtains away, he glanced around the room. "Um, how about maroon?"

Violet hadn't answered but nodded to his response. Walking to the bedroom she opened the drawers looking at some of her old clothes. She wondered if half of the stuff was still in fashion but she didn't care that much at the moment. She needed to change out of a tank top and jeans and the weather seemed to be nice all day. Pulling out a white loose tank top and black jeans, she changed then walked back out to Josh.

"How do I look? Is this still wearable?" Violet did a light spin to show off the outfit.

"You look good, you look like the old you" He answered back which made her smile. Violet then walked over to the couch and lay back without another word. "So…What's the game plan?"

"The game plan is figuring out a way to bring Marcel back. I said that I was going to save him and I still have that to do. Vincent doesn't know how long it's going to take so I'm taking this matter into my own hands"

Josh had walked over and sat down in the chair opposite of her. He agreed that she needed to figure something out because he would help her all the way. "Have you talked to Freya at all? She lives at the compound now"

"I thought about it but I doubt she'll help. Don't worry; I'll threaten her if I want to" Violet stopped talking and turned her head towards the large windows. She was thinking things over trying to think of a good enough plan. "Well if things don't go well in New Orleans I'll work my way everywhere else. I'll go to California…Then to Mystic Falls…Then onto New York. I will hunt these Originals down until one of them helps me"

He had blinked silently and wasn't even sure what to say. He should have known that she was going to do everything to bring him back. Josh knew how close she and Marcel were and she would fight until death for him.

"Is there anything you need me to do? I'd love to help I mean you and Marcel are still like my only friends here"

"Find me some witches. I'm going to hound the witches here to help Vincent or I'll kill them all. I will get out of this city to find the help I need and for however long it takes. First I'm going to the witch store to make my presence known, then I will branch out to the others here…Oh and can you find me some humans to feed from, particularly brunettes"

Violet wasn't really in the mood to do anything even though she had been brought back. Josh would have assumed that she would have been out and about but it seemed like she just wanted to figure out her next move. She was content at the moment but she wanted to get her name back into New Orleans.

"Can I ask you a question?" Josh said quietly but had a feeling he already knew the answer. She waited once again for him to speak so he did. "Are you like okay? I mean you've been dead for three years and you're brushing it off without a second thought. I remember you telling me how upset you were before…Wait, do you have your emotions on?"

Her pale pink lips forced a nice wide smile and then she blinked a few times. "Josh you know I like you and we have a lot of catching up to do but don't get on my back for what I've decided to do. Would you want me to weep and cry tears instead?" He held back a frown and just shook his head to her response. "Good because I'm not going to sit here and whine about what I missed and who I've missed. So if you wouldn't mind could you find me some people to drain while we decide what our next move is?"

Whether the city wanted it or not, Violet Badeaux was back and ready to resurrect her King.


	4. The Witch, The Ripper, The Wolf

**Chapter 3: The Witch, The Ripper, The Wolf**

Violet had been standing outside of the Mikaelson compound for at least an hour. She eventually sunk down to the outside of the gate and rested watching all of the people run by. Most were surprised when they saw a woman standing there but she didn't see a face that she knew.

After resting all day yesterday, she knew it was time to pay the Mikaelson sister a visit even though she was nowhere to be found. Violet had already planned out her day and it seemed like it was already starting off on the wrong foot. Either Freya knew that Violet was brought back or she really wasn't staying there at all. The girl was hiding somewhere and she didn't have any idea on where to look. She would have a spell around her so it's not like she could go to Vincent for anything. Besides that, she couldn't get in the place as the gates wouldn't budge, more than likely a protection spell.

Huffing loudly, the vampire had gotten up and brushed herself off. She was at least in one of her favorite seasons and the weather seemed to be nice for January. Violet was also glad that she still fit in with everyone's clothing because she never wanted to change her style. Wearing her torn jeans, white t-shirt and black leather jacket, she had the vampire look down.

Moving away from the building she remembered another place that she had on her list and luckily for her it was right down the street. People had answered around town and she was determined to figure out what she needed to know.

Staring outside of the Jardin Gris, it occurred to Violet that she had never stepped foot in that store before. The witches were never welcome to the vampires and she could only remember Thierry being the one without an issue. Opening the door and hearing the bells jingle on the door, a smirk played on her lips knowing this was going to be fun.

The place was packed from head to toe of witch ingredients, most things Violet already knew. That always made her a deadly chess piece because she had brushed up on her facts during the 50's when Marcel had a witch problem going on. She had studied the magic in New Orleans even though she couldn't perform any of it. Violet moved quietly over to a rack in the other side of the room acting as if she was a curious customer.

The girl behind the desk was helping someone and Violet wanted to wait for the person to leave before making any movement. Once the person left, she hadn't said anything to her so she wondered if the witch knew who she was.

"If you wanted to make a potion you are looking at the right spot. Maybe you want to cast evil on someone or make someone fall in love with you. Whatever you are looking for is right there"

The girls' voice was soft and she had to be no more than sixteen years old. She looked like one of the old witches Violet knew and she wondered if she was related to one of them by chance. She had rich brown skin and black hair twisted into braids. The girl was beautiful and Violet almost felt bad for what she wanted to do but at the moment she didn't care.

"Is it true that vervain works against vampires?" Violet asked then looked over at her.

She had shifted a little behind the table then leaned forward. "Um that's what I've heard but I haven't used it yet..."

Violet smiled politely then walked over to the table. The girl was an inch shorter and she had a long gown. "I've got a question that I need you to answer" She paused looking down at her name tag to read it, it said Lex. "I'm looking for a girl named Freya Mikaelson. She lives at the compound and she isn't home so I was wondering if you knew where she was?"

Lex had shifted once again and lifted her arms off of the table. She hadn't answered back and just looked at Violet, curious on whom she was. The vampire had laughed lightly and placed her hands on her hips. "Oh I'm sorry, the name's Violet"

"I know who you are, you're the Ripper"

Violet's smile still had not faded and she nodded in agreement. "It's nice to know people still know my name around here. I'd love to just get my answer without any blood being spilt so do you have any idea where she is?"

"I know the stories about you and your boyfriend and from what I've heard they aren't anything good. I don't know who you are talking about but I'm asking you to leave, please"

Narrowing her eyes, Violet was debating on compelling her but she knew that her statement about vervain was false if she knew she was a vampire. It looked like things were going to go in a different way than she hoped. She might have been telling the truth about Freya but Violet was going to resort to other things.

"You see Lex, when I don't get my way things become a little messy and a little bloody so I want you to do me a little favor if you don't mind of course" Stepping right across from her, she placed her palms on the wooden table and leaned in to the girl. "I need someone resurrected and all the witches in this city are refusing to help. I know you practice magic because if you didn't you wouldn't be working here. I want you to help my friend Vincent cast a spell to bring him back to life. Would you do that for me?"

Lex had shaken her head a little which made some of her braids fall off of her shoulder. The girl was frightened which meant she probably never had an encounter with a vampire before. She wasn't going to give in because she knew that witches were supposed to stand their ground. The problem was that she was too afraid to even attempt to use magic at the moment.

"What if I say no?"

Violet's eyes had darkened a little and she began to realize this wasn't going to be a walk in the park. She needed to figure out some sort of way to convince this girl to say yes. "I have to admit for a young witch you really don't want to cross a vampire, especially me"

Her fangs had popped out along with the veins dropping underneath her eyes. The red started to show, fading her own natural green color. Lex's eye had widened and she threw her hand out to do something but Violet quickly caught it before she could say anything.

In a flash, the vampire was gone and the bells on the door played a loud but eerie tune and Lex was in disbelief as to what happened. Moving from behind the counter, she was going to lock the door before anything else was to happen next. Unfortunately for her Violet had come back and shoved the girl to the ground.

"Oh look what I have…A friend of yours perhaps?" Violet said holding tight a girl that looked much younger than Lex. Flipping the lock, the other witch moved back behind the counter just in case Violet tried grabbing her. "Do you know her? And I want an answer so don't try anything"

She waited for Lex to respond but in turn she got silence. "If you don't answer me I will tear her head off and frame you for what I did. Do you know her?" She repeated.

Lex shook her head quickly. "No, I've never seen her before"

Violet had to question if she was telling the truth since she couldn't compel the answers she wanted. The twelve year old girl was shaking and staring at Lex, Violet assumed they were sisters because she knew that she was also a witch.

"Well now we have a problem" She paused asking the name of the girl she was holding. "You see, Lex here doesn't want to help me bring back an old friend, kind of rude isn't it Molly? I know a way to get her to say yes so all I want you to do is stay calm, quit crying and don't scream" Violet was hoping that the compulsion would work and it did in her favor. Molly had slowly stopped crying and instead turned to Violet.

"Can't you find another witch? I'm not that old yet so I can't do anything you want"

"You have enough power to help Vincent; you're still fresh enough in the field. Alright, yes or no Lex. I'm hoping it's a yes because I'm starting to get a little hungry just standing here"

Lex was trying to think of a spell off of the top of her head but yet she was still too afraid to do anything. She wasn't sure what to do because she didn't want to get wrapped in a vampire's business that she didn't even know. There were stories that were spoken throughout the last three years about Marcel and Violet but they were only stories.

Violet was feeling disappointed that she wasn't answering and in fact it started rubbing her the wrong way. Three years ago she probably would have already gotten an answer but it seemed that no one was going to fear her anymore. "Good thing Marcel isn't here because I really think he would hate this"

Letting her fangs pop out again, she swiftly bit into the girls' neck and drank as fast as she could. The quicker the girl became weak, the more it would push Lex to help her. Lex didn't want any harm to come to the young girl so she blurted it out.

"Alright! Let her go and I'll help you!"

Violet pulled her fangs out of her throat and smiled at her, a bloody smile at that. "See, was that so bad? We could have avoided this if you would have answered in the first place"

Biting into her wrist, she made the girl drink watching the wound disappear. "Nothing happened. You came in here to look around and you left. Just don't get killed because I really don't want to play Interview with a Vampire. Got it?"

Once she let Molly go, she flew out of the building without another glance back. Looking around the witch store for something, she found a white cloth that she wiped her mouth off with. "I'll come back to you when I need you and I wouldn't tell anyone about this. You run, you die. You tell, I'll rip your tongue out first and then kill you. I always get what I want no matter what it takes. See ya Lex"

Doing a faint wave, she backed out of the store feeling good about herself. If her emotions were on she wouldn't have done that but she was in her usual carefree spirit. Violet had one thing accomplished already and it was time for her next thing, shopping. That was something she loved about the French Quarter, you could find the most random things to buy.

She had gone to different stores and booths before stopping at one with a bunch of jewelry. There was a rack of necklaces hanging and they looked identical to the ones she and her sisters had. Violet smiled at the thought and grabbed three colors, red, pink and of course purple.

As she leaned forward to grab them, she was nearly knocked into the table by someone who shoved her hard. Growling lowly, she whipped around to see who it was.

"Sorry, didn't see you there" A man said with a faint smirk on his lips. Narrowing her eyes, she wasn't amused nor in the mood. "Oh did you need help with those?"

He leaned forward to grab them, too close for her comfort. Violet then figured out he was a werewolf due to his scent and she almost had a flashback of her time with Jake. He had short, spikey brown hair and a little scruff to his face. He wasn't bad looking but of course he was a wolf.

"No I didn't so hand them over and shoo" She went to grab them from his hand but he pulled it back before she could.

"You didn't ask nicely. See I heard about how you didn't have manners most of the time and if you want the necklaces you ask like a human being. Here, let's roleplay. You say, oh that was nice of you to get these for me. Now may I please have them to buy?"

"Leave her alone Dakota, you have no reason to start anything"

A female had stepped over to his side and looked Violet over. She had seemed familiar for some reason but couldn't quite put her finger on whom she was. She then began to wonder if they were related but they looked far from it…But she was another wolf.

"Oh I was just trying to entertain the girl here. I mean, we wouldn't want our streets painted red would we?"

Violet had shaken her head at his words in surprise. "What do you mean your streets? I highly doubt wolves decided to take over the Quarter"

"You'd be surprised at what we can do. I of course can show you later tonight if you want. I heard you had a thing for wolves back in the day" She couldn't help but laugh at his boldness but it wasn't exactly a nice laugh. "Actually I think you had a thing for my Father right?"

Her smile had faded and Violet's face had gone blank. By looking at Dakota there was a comparison to Jake but she wasn't aware that he had a son that would be that old. They had the same looks but he had a little darker tone to his face. When he smiled at her reaction, her heart had sunk a little noticing how much they did look alike.

"Dakota, leave the vampire alone and let's go. I don't know why you told her that"

He shrugged his shoulders looking at the other woman. "Are you becoming jealous? Hey, I'm just being nice to the woman here, excuse me for being so polite" Turning back to Violet, he flashed her another smile. "Seriously though, take me up on the offer. I'm sure your boy wouldn't mind it"

He then looked around expecting Marcel to pop out of nowhere. It seemed that no one knew he was still gone as she was the only one roaming around. Violet took the opportunity to snatch the necklaces back which made him turn back to her. "I promise I won't bite" Winking at her, the red headed female grabbed his upper arm and yanked him away.

"I do!" Violet called back then quickly reverted back to the shelf. She wasn't sure what exactly just happened and she didn't know if it was a good thing or not.

Dakota and the werewolf had headed back to the bayou after their encounter with Violet. Once they arrived, there were two people waiting for them in return.

"Did you find her?" A man at least ten years older than Dakota asked looking between them.

"Yeah but Celestia ruined the fun I was starting to have" Looking over at the red head, she rolled her eyes.

"Well if Mr. Casanova here wasn't flirting with her I wouldn't have had an issue. Bradi clearly told us to not talk to her and there you were trying to get in her pants"

The wolf Bradi had his eyebrows raised at the revelation he had just found out. He wasn't sure what to do because werewolves and vampires were still on bad terms. "Explain D…"

Dakota scoffed then shook his head. "She's cute, so what? You think I'm going to fall head over heels for a girl that almost got my Dad killed all those years ago?"

"He's got something good going though if you think about it" A female named Mara said sitting next to Bradi thinking of something. They had been the so called alpha couple of their pack and were the ones pulling the strings for the last few years. They were husband and wife and a forced to be reckoned with. "Let's use this to our advantage here. Where's Marcel?"

"We didn't see him; it was just her at one of the stands in the Quarter. Either he was not with her or he is still yet to be found" Celestia said taking a seat next to Mara.

"You never saw one without the other…" Bradi spoke to himself as it was just a thought. It was the truth because they were usually side by side. The people of New Orleans still didn't know exactly what happened or that they were dead. Some believed it, some didn't. It was just a matter of perspective.

"Feel like putting yourself in a love triangle?" Dakota turned his head in amusement to Mara. "Think about it? Make Dakota use whatever charm he has to pull her in which only is going to cause trouble for them in the long run. Let her think you love her, I mean it is every girl's weakness, right?"

All of them had turned to her actually entertained by the idea. For them they wanted to keep the control they had not only over the vampires but over all the other packs in New Orleans. They also didn't want Marcel and Violet to take back everything so they had to fight in their own way.

Dakota had to think it over before nodding in agreement. "Oh alright, I'm sure I'm good enough to pull her in. I think I'll be able to get her to fall for me"

"With what charm? You have none" Celestia said with a laugh. He was going to have a hard time pulling her in but if it happened the first time who said it wouldn't happen a second?


	5. Ne touchez pas aux blessures guéries

**Chapter 4: Ne touchez pas aux blessures guéries**

Vincent Griffith had been standing inside of his home looking through a book that could possibly help the situation he was trying to solve. He was beginning to lose a little faith within himself as he found it impossible to bring Marcel back.

He knew that it was something he needed to do because they developed a strange friendship in the time they knew each other. It wasn't that Marcel was a bad guy or leader at all either. Sure he had done things throughout his lifetime and Vincent's that caused problems but he always wanted to give someone the benefit of doubt.

Marcel had kept New Orleans protected for years; he saved Davina from her death and countless others. He helped Vincent whenever he had a problem so the two had gotten along well. Not famously but well enough that they had mutual respect for one another.

At the same time he had someone looming over him and he wondered if it was such a great idea in bringing Violet back. He should have known that she would do anything to help the situation but he didn't assume that her emotions would be turned off. It seemed that Vincent was having more on his back within his little world than he expected.

Leaving his apartment, he wanted to head back down to the run down house in order to figure out something. There were a few spells he wanted to test to see if they were going to work to a certain degree. Once he got there though he stopped in his tracks. A familiar purple car was parked near the place which only meant one person and one person only was inside.

Stepping downstairs, he was bracing himself to face Violet. It wasn't that he was worried or even scared, it was the fact that he knew she was going to push him. If he wasn't going to bring Marcel back anytime soon, Violet was going to make it her mission to stay on his back until he did so. Standing in the doorway, Vincent saw her staring at the bricked up wall.

Violet had been standing there for only twenty minutes mostly in silence. She had occasionally said a few words but knew that he couldn't hear her. She was hesitating busting it down just to see him but knew that it was a stupid idea. She wanted to say goodbye for a while because she was ready to start her road trip later that day.

"Didn't think I'd catch you here" Vincent had broken her out of her thoughts.

Violet had continued to stand there but turned her head in his direction. "I wasn't planning on it but I needed to say goodbye for a while"

The witch had been walking over to the table in the room and hadn't commented on what she said. He wondered what she meant because he didn't understand why she would be leaving. Vincent never believed that Violet would ever leave the city with Marcel trapped inside but he seemed to be guessing wrong.

"Being asleep for three years really sucked. It was like being in a never ending dream...He's suffering in there. I woke up a couple of times, well not physically but it sure seemed like it. I was screaming only to find myself buried and suffocated until something else decided to haunt me"

He had been pulling a few things out of his bag and setting them down listening. As she continued he nodded not having much to say.

"The wolves are becoming a problem again" Vincent spoke once she was finished.

That prompted her to turn completely around and stare at him for a moment. She placed her hands in her leather jacket before stepping over to him. "You're telling me why?"

He had given her a look then continued what he was doing. "We already went through this the other day. I've got a wolf problem on my hands and I need you to help me with it"

"And I already told you not until you wake him up. I did say I was going to wake him up before I left but it looks like my plan has changed. Since you are not moving fast enough, I'm going to hunt down the Mikaelson's starting with California. They all can't be hiding at once"

"You know I need help with this Violet"

Violet had shrugged her shoulders before picking up a glass vial full of nothing. She grabbed the knife that was lying there and cut her palm before opening the bottle to let the blood get inside. She had a feeling he would need some so she was just helping out. Something in her mind clicked and she zipped away before Vincent said anything else.

When she returned she had a young girl with her which Vincent had to do a double take. She had smiled and let go of her and pushed her a little forward. "Vincent this is Lex, my new BFF. Lex, this is Vincent"

"Violet...What are you doing?"

Lex had been looking around the place in more of a surprised phase rather than feeling scared. She slowly stopped her curiosity on Vincent who was clearly concerned for her than anything else.

"The Robin to your Batman. Look, you said you needed help so I took it upon myself to find you a witch. This girl is somewhat clueless but I have a good feeling about her. So I asked and she said yes. I hid her in the trunk and would you look at that? She's standing right in front of us"

"She's how old? You threaten people all the time but a teenager? What do you think Marcel would say about you trying to intimidate and harm a child?"

Violet had narrowed her eyes and stared at him. He was only trying to get her out of whatever she was doing but he did mean it as the truth. Marcel wouldn't have allowed her to do so but he wasn't present to do anything about it.

"Lex wants to help so let's just leave it at that" She pulled her phone out and checked the time. "I really have to go because I've got things to do and people to find. Promise me that you will let her help. I honestly don't want to come back here and rip some witches to shreds nor do I want to harm her" Violet had stopped and looked down towards the ground. She bit her lip for a second and debated on saying something else. "I just really need Marcel back"

She looked up at them and noticed that Lex had moved away from her and was standing at Vincent's side. He knew that Violet was like a puzzle that was hard to complete but was always missing pieces. This time around she was missing a major part of her life and wasn't sure if he was even coming back. He had remembered how it felt missing Eva and the need to have someone close when they were too far away.

Vincent sighed then shook himself out of a few thoughts. "We'll do what we can. Will you call me if you figure out where any of them are?"

Violet's face had changed more to support and a smile appeared. "Aye aye captain. You'll be the first to know. You two need to let me know when you are close or even if you see Freya"

Mocking a salute, she disappeared from the garden and out back to her nontraditional car. She was relieved that Josh had kept on his promise and took care of it because boy had she missed it. Peeling away with dirt flying, she was going to go back into the Quarter to make sure Freya wasn't lurking at the compound.

There was a difference in her heart about leaving because it was under different circumstances. The times she fled to Georgia were out of jealousy and love. She had escaped Marcel and Rebekah having their little love affair for too long. Violet left a second time to check on her own life and had her little time with Lucien. Third she left out of her love for Jake and wanting them both to stay alive. Lastly, she left when she and Marcel had a fall out.

This time around she was fighting hard and wasn't going to stop until she got what she wanted. Once again it was for love but it was also for friendship, companionship. No matter their fall out, Violet owed everything to him and that was the way she saw it. Marcel had turned her and saved her life. He had always fought for her, protected and stood by her side when no one else would. In return she did the same for him and this was just another case.

Pulling in front of the compound, Violet hopped out and went to the gate the same way she did yesterday. Tugging at it did nothing so she checked the street before kicking it as hard as she could. Since it didn't budge due to the magic that protected it, she knew that there was nothing to do.

Violet took her phone out and leaned against the building and dialed Josh's number. She waited and waited until he finally picked up. "Hey, did you find out anything?"

"Hey Josh…I didn't but I got the witch to Vincent so there is at least one plus there. I'm calling to ask if you'll watch over the penthouse for at least a month or two"

Josh had paused on the other line and she could tell he did. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah I've just got to figure out some other way that's going to work faster. I'm tracking down the Mikaelson's and I'm going to California first in hopes I can find Davina. I'll be back but after that I'm going to New York for Rebekah unfortunately. As much as I can't stand her I know she'd be willing to help"

He had agreed with her on the subject but didn't know she was going to do it. He assumed that Lex was a good enough excuse but Violet wanted to make this happen. "Besides that is there anything else you need me to do down here?"

Violet had actually thought it over realizing that things were different. She always followed Marcel's orders but it was time for her to make her own. After being under his wing for so long she should have picked it up but it wasn't something she wanted to do. Even though she was the self-proclaimed Queen she still didn't have much of an idea how to run New Orleans.

"You think you'd be able to find Sofya? She knew how to handle things well enough...What ever happened to her anyway? Oh are any of the same vampires there from before?"

Josh didn't know what vampires she was talking about. "Sofya went back to Russia as far as I know and no one really stayed after you guys, you know"

Sighing on the line she looked around before glancing at the gate one more time. "Alright then. I packed a few bags so I'm off to Cali, I'll let you know when I get there and keep you updated"

Violet hung up before he could answer and slipped the phone in her jacket pocket. She kicked the door again as hard as she could in frustration than anything else.

"Just so you know, sneaking through the window is a less noisy option"

Whipping around at the voice, she saw Dakota standing in front of her. She wasn't in the mood for dealing with a wolf let alone one of her ex's kids. "Just so you know, spying is something that I do not like"

Violet stepped away and moved around him to the driver's side of the car. She unlocked the door but didn't get in. "What's with you following me anyway? Yesterday was bad enough and now here you are"

"Come on, you enjoy the attention. You've been dead right? It's gotta be nice that someone is paying attention to you since you know, Marcel's dead and all" Dakota turned to lean on the hood of the car staring at her.

She had to admit that he was good looking but she wasn't going to say a word. It was strange enough that he was related to Jake but worse that he looked and acted just like him. She didn't comment because she didn't want him to know the truth.

"I overheard the whole convo so yes I did snoop in a matter of fact. If you're looking for Freya Mikaelson she's in Mystic Falls checking up on her niece"

"How do you know that?" She questioned.

"I just told you, snooping. Wolves are secretive like that so you'll see me doing that often"

She had opened the door and shook her head with a smile. Dakota had looked into the backseat and saw the bags lying in there. "Where you going?"

Violet was halfway in the car before glancing behind her. She got inside completely and started the engine. He backed off of the car and knocked on the window. Rolling it down slowly he bent down still waiting for an answer.

"Road tripping so what's it to you?"

"You never leave New Orleans, well I thought you didn't until you bailed in the 90's" He smirked at her when she clearly frowned. "Okay, miss I can't take a joke"

Dakota looked up and down the street before opening the car door. Hopping in the passenger seat he was reaching for the seat belt when Violet reached her hand out and held it on his chest to hold him in place. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm going with you, what's it look like I'm doing?"

She had scoffed and looked at him in complete surprise. "First off you do not get into my car unless I ask you to. Second, I've got things to do. Third, I am going to be gone for a couple of months. And lastly, I don't like wolves so if you don't mind...You don't even have clothes"

"I'm a wolf; I shed out of these things like a pro. Look, you more than likely do not realize it but you are in desperate need of a friend and look what I've got to offer. I'm humorous, good looking not to mention charming. It's getting boring here anyway. You can kick me to the curb if you get sick of me. Deal?"

Violet removed her hand and sat back staring out into the windshield. She wasn't going to admit it but she was feeling alone and the only people she had were Josh and Vincent. Huffing loudly, she buckled herself and Dakota smiled doing the same. A wolf and a vampire on a road trip, what could possibly go wrong?


	6. 182 Days

**Chapter 5: 182 Days**

Violet hadn't been successful over the last six months and neither was Vincent. She had kept in touch with him over the time to see if he could figure out anything but he wasn't getting any luck. Her road trip was also a major failure.

She thought that finding the Mikaelson's was going to be easy because she knew all of their whereabouts. The problem was that none of them were in the spot they were supposed to be in. Kol and Davina were in California but she couldn't find them for the life of her. Violet didn't know if she wasn't looking hard enough or what but there wasn't any record there.

Elijah wouldn't be any help due to his memory loss so she didn't even attempt that. Klaus was over in Europe as well and she wasn't going overseas just in case there was a breakthrough. Besides that she really didn't want to face Klaus and ask for a problem that he wouldn't help with, well in her mind she thought that.

Hayley and Hope were in Mystic Falls and she had actually spoken to the hybrid. Violet asked if Hope would be able to help but Hayley was quick to down that problem. Freya was going to refuse if she met with her but she also was nowhere to be found.

Rebekah was the last one that she went after but New York was missing the blonde Original. It was bittersweet going there because it popped in her mind on how Marcel could have possibly gone with her. It was a strange thought but for her case it luckily didn't happen.

Violet had gone back home to New Orleans and stayed there for the remainder of the time...Until Marcel was brought back to life.

Vincent and Lex had dug out the coffin and were ready to try to something he had been working on. It had only taken six months compared to three years but he still wasn't sure if it was going to work. He had taken Lex under his wing and began teaching her the things that she needed to do. Now the witches had stood behind the table, locked hands and chanted away.

"When we are all done, I want you to open up two blood bags just in case this works. Violet was dying of thirst which means Marcel is going to be as well. I'll give them to him just in case he tries to attack you or anything. Okay?"

He had told her before they started the spell and now they were in the middle of it. Once they were done doing whatever Vincent had planned, they opened their eyes and stared at the coffin lid which was closed.

"Did it work?" Lex asked quietly turning away to open two bags.

Vincent hadn't said anything and slowly closed his eyes once again seeing it as a failure. Violet had woken up at least a minute after the spell and it was completely silent except for the ripping of the blood bags.

All of a sudden there was a banging inside of the coffin which had shaken him from his thoughts and snapped his eyes open. It had momentarily stopped then started getting louder and he raced in that direction. Flipping the locks, Vincent backed away as quick as he could as the coffin lid had been ripped open a second later.

Marcel had sat up straight and looked the same as Violet minus the screaming. He was breathing heavily and looking around until he set his eyes on Vincent. The witch was prepared himself compared to last time where he had gotten attacked. He had jumped from the coffin and started moving in his direction until he caught the scent of blood.

Whipping in the opposite direction, Vincent had yelled for Lex to toss him a blood bag but Marcel had already zipped over to the girl. He grabbed her but she had been taught good things while under Vincent's wing. She had made her skin too hot to touch which made him let go rather quickly. She let the bags go at her feet and ran past him over to Vincent.

"I need you to call this number. It's Josh and he needs to let Violet know what we just did. Go outside just in case" He spoke hoping she would do as he said.

Lex nodded grabbing the phone and moved as fast as she could out of the ruins. Marcel had sunk to his knees grabbing the blood and drinking it as if there wasn't any left. Vincent stepped over and opened up the extra ones he carried. This was going to be some reunion.

Violet had been sleeping inside of the bedroom in the penthouse. She wasn't planning on doing much all day and she didn't care what time of day it was. She wanted to stay inside and figure out what her next step was that she could take. Her phone was lying on the dresser and began buzzing which woke her up.

She rolled over and sat up still tired and clicked answer. "Hello?"

"You need to get down to the garden. Vincent figured out a break through that I think you are going to like" Josh was on the other end and sounded too happy for her.

Violet rubbed her eyes and yawned before looking at the time, it had just turned noon. "Over the last six months how many times have you told me that Josh? Until he wakes him up I'm not going back. I'm going back to bed"

"Violet, he figured out a way to bring Marcel back. He's alive"

She had blinked at his words which made her sit up a little straighter. She couldn't believe what he just said and for some reason she thought it was some sort of joke. Violet swung her legs out of the bed and didn't say another word.

"Hello? Violet?" Josh asked after getting silence.

"I'll be there soon"

Violet hung up and tossed the phone back on the nightstand. Walking over to the dresser, she started to pull some clothes out to get dressed but did take her time. She heard a noise coming from the bed and she glanced over while slipping on her shirt.

"You need to leave. I've got some things to do and I need you to go"

"Is everything okay? Is it about Marcel?" Dakota had sat up scratching his head looking at her.

She didn't want to say anything about Marcel. Violet wanted to keep that piece of information to herself because she was walking on a thin line yet again. Over the last six months she had been parading with Dakota and no wolf was going to take that lightly.

"I got a tip on where Freya is so I have to go deal with it" She said coldly before pulling her shorts on and buttoning them. Pulling out her boot, she began lacing them and Dakota finally got moving. "You'll keep this a secret yet again right?"

Violet didn't wait for an answer as she disappeared from the penthouse to her car.

Once Marcel got enough blood in his system Vincent began filling him in on a little bit. He couldn't believe he had been gone three years and New Orleans was standing in one piece. Half of the time none of the species got along and he was fearful that nothing was going to remain the same by the time he got brought back.

"Sorry it took so long. None of the witches around here wanted to help so I pretty much had to do all of this on my own. Violet found Lex and she helped so here you are"

Marcel was getting so much information that he had hardly any time to think of her. It wasn't that he didn't want to; he just had so much to process. He stepped over to the wall realizing that there wasn't a second coffin so he turned back to the witch. "Violet...Where is she?"

Vincent was going to answer but a shadow from the stairs had caught his eye so he didn't say anything. Violet came walking down and stopped once she got on the floor. Looking around the room and the ingredients and coffin she stepped closer to get a better look. She couldn't believe that Marcel had been standing right in front of her after all this time.

Marcel's mouth had popped open but no words could form. He was thankful that she was well and alive because he wasn't sure if he would ever see her again. The last time he saw her alive was from that dream and that wasn't much off of. He moved around the table and over to her where she still stood.

He noticed the tears that were pooling in her green eyes and she had taken a breath. Violet pushed herself forward with a smile and wrapped her arms around him. He had done the same and they stood like that for a while, a wonderful embrace that Vincent was glad to have helped with.

Violet had pulled back and placed her hand on the side of his cheek. She couldn't believe that he was alive right now, that she could feel him. She started to give up hope and thought it was going to be years until she saw him again. It was something she thought she was prepared for but Violet wasn't ready any time soon. Leaning a little forward on her toes, she placed her lips on his and now the flames were embraced in a kiss.

Arriving at the penthouse a while later, Violet was taking Marcel back in order to change and whatever he wanted to do. They hadn't talked much in the car which was a surprise to both but there wasn't much to say at the moment.

"Josh kept his promise on the car and took care of the place for the years we've been missing; I know that it was a flashback coming back here"

Opening the door she walked in first kicking off her boots before moving to the bar for two drinks. "You're clothes are still in the bedroom and I didn't move them...I doubt you want to walk around full of spider webs and dirt"

Marcel had followed behind her and looked around getting flooded with memories just like she had. He hadn't truly been dead for that long and it was something that he needed to adjust to. He had been King of New Orleans for so long that he couldn't believe he had been dead for three years.

"You really painted this room purple..." He said realizing that the walls were a deep purple compared to the blue grey that he had.

Violet grinned and paused what she was doing. "I hate to tell you this but I hated the way you had it. Truth is...It was ugly and not my style so I updated it. I wanted maroon but then it reminded me of Lucien so I opted for a dark yet pretty color to obviously represent me" She was still smiling until he looked her way. "You just got back and you are already complaining..."

Walking over to him she held the drink out that he took without a second thought. "I didn't say I didn't like it, it's just something that I didn't remember. It looks nice"

Violet smiled again and took a drink. "The bedroom is the same so get moving"

He had done what she said and made his way towards the bedroom. Being overwhelmed with everything, he set the glass down on top of the dresser and scanned the room. Violet had popped around the corner and stopped seeing him just standing there. She moved around him and pulled the drawer open grabbing a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.

"I did the same thing when I came back here. It's weird to think that we had everything in the palm of our hands and then lost it in a matter of seconds. Anyway here"

Throwing the items in his direction, Marcel caught them before moving to the bathroom for a quick shower and change of clothes. Sometime later he came back out noticing a few clothes out of the corner of his eye. Picking up a necklace, he looked it over wondering who it belonged to.

Violet walked in and leaned against the wall looking at him. She realized that he had a necklace in his hand and she rushed over to rip it from him.

"Whose is that?" Marcel asked curious holding it up for her to see what he was talking about. Her eyes widened a little before moving over trying to grab it.

"Nothing important, give me it"

He pulled it back away from her waiting for an answer. He was wondering where it came from because he knew for a fact it wasn't either of theirs. Violet reached again stepping on her top of her toes but he began backing up with it.

"I won't hand it over until I get an answer..." Marcel was only teasing and he didn't mean it in any other way. Well he was serious on the curiosity but Violet was beginning to take it in the wrong way. Her face was turning darker and he knew that she wasn't in the mood.

"It doesn't matter; give me the damn thing Marcel!" Reaching for it again, she swiped it out of his hand and he held up his hands like he didn't do anything wrong. Tucking it in her back pocket, she walked away and over to the bed to make it.

"I think I already know the answer to that..." He said watching her knowing already what it meant. He knew it was someone important and that person was a man. Marcel wasn't jealous or anything but he couldn't help but wonder a lot of things. "What's his name?"

Violet had been folding the blanket. "What makes you think it's a guy? Feeling jealous all of a sudden?" She turned around to face him with a smirk on her face.

"Because I'm not an idiot Vi, I know that look on your face when you are falling head over heels for someone. I've seen it before"

Her smirk had slowly faded and she turned back around. She didn't want to tell him about Dakota because it wasn't the right time to begin with. Marcel had just been brought back to life and here he was questioning her actions. Violet wasn't going to say he was a wolf and the two of them wouldn't get along at all. The relationship wasn't that serious though she had to admit that it was nice having him around. That didn't change the fact that she was in love with Marcel either.

"Josh is really going to want to see you. Let's go down to the bar, he's working there I guess"

Finishing the blanket, she set it down and waited for him. He wasn't going to push forward with anything until she wanted to bring it up. Marcel nodded and began following her through the penthouse.

"Dakota...His name is Dakota"


	7. Over the River, through the Woods

**Chapter 6: Over the River, through the Woods**

The werewolf problem in New Orleans was only boiling on the surface but wasn't showing. It was a battle between a few different packs out in the Bayou and was slowly spinning out of control. Some wanted to dominate the others, some wanted to stay together as one pack. Problem was Vincent was a witch and not a wolf.

He had been looking over the city for the last three years but left it up to the other species to deal with their issues. He wasn't looking to intervene as it wasn't witch business but Vincent always debated if he should. The other problem was that the wolves weren't going to listen to him. He wasn't intimidating; he wasn't powerful enough to shake them down. Now for his case he knew two people who were, who would do the job and one of them already made a promise.

Knocking on the penthouse doors, he waited for someone to answer. He knew both Marcel and Violet would be there considering they had quite a reunion yesterday. Vincent figured they would be doing something he didn't want to see so he waited at the door. When it popped open, he lightly smiled before stepping inside.

"Coming to check on how I'm doing?" Marcel asked closing the door once he stepped inside.

"Actually I came by to talk to the both of you but now that you mention it, how are you feeling?"

He shrugged his shoulders then took a drink of Bourbon that he had in a glass in his hand. He stepped over to the bar pouring another drink before handing it to Vincent. "I feel good, feel the same. I thought it'd be different but it's nothing. I rotted away for three years and here I am yet again"

Vincent had taken the drink and nodded at his words. He turned around to look around the place missing a familiar blonde. "Where's Violet?"

"She's in the..." Marcel was going to answer but he saw her turn the corner out into the living area from the bedroom.

Violet had been shaking her hair in a towel not paying any attention. She hummed to herself lightly before looking up and stopping. She didn't see Vincent there so she looked over towards Marcel. "Well if this isn't a reunion again. You could have told me we had company so I didn't walk out dripping of water and a towel wrapped around me"

He raised an eyebrow and laughed lightly. "Oh I'm sorry. It's not like he hasn't watched you walk out in underwear before so I think he's going to be just fine"

Narrowing her eyes at him, she continued with her hair but didn't say a word. Vincent had noticed some sort of weird tension between them but wasn't sure of what it was. Something seemed to be going on and he was in the middle. Taking a drink, he now debated if he should have waited a day.

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news but I need that favor to be done in the next few days. You promised me that once Marcel was brought back you'd handle it"

Pausing again, Violet sighed forgetting about the whole situation. The last thing she wanted to do was handle a wolf problem out in the heart of the Bayou. "Can't Josh go?"

"What promise?"

"It's nothing important, nothing that concerns us"

Setting the glass down, Marcel walked away from the bar and took a few steps towards Violet. Vincent had believed that she had filled him in on everything but apparently not.

"It does concern us because Vincent wouldn't be here if it wasn't. What did you promise him?"

Violet didn't answer because she really didn't want to involve him. It was her promise to Vincent and she wanted to handle it by herself. After telling Marcel about Dakota, things had been a little different. There was quite a bit of tension due to a variety of things but this was one of them.

Marcel had been waiting on an answer but came to realize that she wasn't going to say anything. "I'll compel the answer out of you if I have to. What is going on?"

The witch had started to feel uncomfortable and noticed the shift in the room. Violet hadn't said anything and instead just stared at him. He couldn't tell if she had fear in her eyes but she seemed to be a little confused by the statement. Vincent had taken it upon himself to answer before things got ugly.

"Violet had promised to help with the growing wolf problem out in the Bayou. There's been an issue out there for a while and I have a hard time dealing with them. I thought that you both would be able to help considering that you had a better hold on the wolves before"

Marcel had shifted away from her to turn to Vincent. He nodded at the words not knowing anything that was going on. He was looking forward to being brought back into the fold because New Orleans was his home.

"What exactly is going on out there?" He questioned.

Vincent wasn't entirely sure but he knew it was nothing good. "See that's the thing, I honestly don't know. I've been trying my best to stay out of it but I hear what's been going on. Some packs want more control over the other, I have not a clue. I've got enough witch business to handle and I didn't know who would be able to handle all of this"

Nodding again, he thought it over before turning back to Violet. "Get dressed. It looks like you and I have an adventure to go on today"

Sighing dramatically, she pushed her shoulders forward. "Oh come on, I had plans for the day. I had a few things to do so this can wait until tomorrow?"

Smirking, Marcel knew who and what she was referring to. She had a secret date to go on and he only knew that after her phone had gone off earlier. He checked it because in all honesty he didn't trust the guy. If there was a wolf problem going on, Violet needed to stay away from Dakota as far as possible.

"I'm sure that can wait until tomorrow. Hey, maybe you'll even see him out there. I'd be interested on meeting this kid so go get dressed, grab whatever you need and let's go"

Raising an eyebrow, Vincent once again wasn't sure on what was going on. It seemed that all three were on different pages and he wondered how any of this would work. Violet stomped away with an annoyed huff so he waited before saying anything. "Dare I ask?"

* * *

The newly resurrected vampires were on their way to the Bayou silent in her car. Marcel had offered to drive but he should have known better that no one drives her car except Violet. The times she let Josh drive were a mystery but she wasn't happy with him at the moment.

Her Ferrari was her baby and there was no way she was going to splash around in the mud. She wasn't going to spend hours digging it out so Violet stopped before they reached inside. Turning the engine off, she didn't say a word then got out. Bending down to re-lace her boots, she was preparing herself to wander through mud, bugs and alligators.

"Do you know where Vincent wants us to look?" Marcel asked stepping out as well and walking over to the driver's side.

Shaking her head, she stood up now to fix her shorts. "I honestly have no idea what he wants us to do. I told you I didn't want to do this today and I didn't get all of the information I needed. Fear not though, I've got some of Klaus's blood in the backseat if push comes to shove"

He gave her a strange look wondering how she got the blood. Once Violet started walking, she tapped his arm to follow her into the swamp. "Apparently he gave some to Josh after we died, Josh then gave me some of it. Not that you'll die from it but I need protection from this nasty venom"

"You don't have a problem with it when you're dating a wolf. I don't understand you Vi, how can you go on and on about them and shack up with one for months?"

"If I didn't know better Marcel, I would say that you are jealous. It's okay, I can accept that"

Smirking to herself, she knew that she hit a cord with him. Whether it was Dakota, their separation or something else, there was no denying that they had been getting under one another's skin. One thing about Violet though was that she loved to fight and argue. There were times that if she knew he was irritated, she would say something make it worse.

Violet had been ahead of him stepping over a fallen tree until he walked at a faster pace to be directly behind her. "Why would you think I'm jealous?" Marcel found it humorous.

"I'm not a fool, the way you constantly bring him up. I just hope you feel the same way I felt all those years about Rebekah. Not a good feeling is it? To know that the person you want is right in front of you and they have their eyes on someone else"

He hadn't commented back to anything and just sighed loudly. Marcel did have a problem with her dating a wolf because he thought otherwise. He had believed that once they were brought back that they were going to pick up off of where they were. He didn't expect her to have another hidden romance with a wolf, especially when things were starting to look bad.

"See? I know you like the back of my hand" Violet looked over her shoulder not realizing that he was directly behind her.

Marcel smiled at her then nodded his head forward. "If I were you, I'd stop walking or that alligator over there is going to get you"

Her eyes had widened and by the time she turned back around she was faced with another fallen log. Tripping forward over it, she placed her hands out before she landed in a large mud puddle. It instead splashed all over her legs and jacket. Growling, she jumped up once Marcel passed her to keep walking.

"Really? We're going to play childish games now? This is my favorite jacket!" She yelled huffing after him.

Shrugging at her words he knew what he did was childish but he honestly didn't care. Marcel just wanted to get out in the middle of the bayou to solve the problem that needed to be fixed.

"You are not walking away from me Marcellus Gerard..." She said in a threatening tone.

"Oh so we're on a full name basis Violet Maybelle Badeaux. I kind of like this tone of your voice, it's something I've missed"

Violet moved quicker and grabbed his hand spinning him around. He clenched his jaw tight and she narrowed her eyes. "I should have waited three years to wake you"

She leaned forward and grabbed him into a hug to wipe the mud off of her leather jacket. Smirking once again to herself, Violet brushed her hair aside and leaned in forward to whisper to him. "You better sleep with one eye open because I'm starting to wonder why I haven't killed you yet"

It was Marcel's turn to smile at her words. "Maybe it's because you can't. If I were you, I'd be careful on the threats because you don't want me to have a repeat of the 90s"

Pulling away, Violet brushed past him without another word. He had looked himself over and stared at the mud that was drying on his maroon shirt. Things were starting to get interesting.

It had taken twenty more minutes until they reached a familiar spot. It was a main area where the Crescent Wolves stayed and it was their first place to look. Vincent had mentioned that it had to do with Hayley's old pack and another but he wasn't sure on who the others were.

Marcel had stopped when he got out to a clearing area and slowly looked around. Violet had been trying to scrub the mud from her jacket and lightly bumped into him. "You could have told me you were tired and needed a break…"

When she looked up at him she was faced with the same thing he was. She didn't understand how she didn't smell all of the blood that was all over. It could have been that her mind was wandering someplace else but even Marcel questioned how neither one of them could smell it.

Bodies were scattered everywhere and it was a horrifying scene. Women, men and children had littered the ground and red ran all over. Some bodies were floating in the water; some were hanging out by the houses. Many were just scattered throughout the open area. Violet swallowed and closed her eyes in order to send her bloodlust away.

"Looks like we just came across a wolf massacre…Brings back haunting memories" Marcel said looking over at her. When he had fought various packs many years ago, he didn't realize the damage it did to others.

It took her a moment before she could calm herself down. When she looked him in the eyes, she noticed something different in them and looked away. "I'll take this side, you check over there. I doubt any of them are alive but it's worth a look"

The vampires had split in the opposite direction to see if they could find any clues or anyone left. There was at least thirty people flooding the entire area and it was a sight that no one wanted to see. Violet had always been used to seeing dead vampires but there was something different about this. It could have been the missing three years or it could have been the emotions coming back. Whatever it was she accepted it.

Marcel had also remembered the same things but also all of the battles he fought. It ranged from World War one to the encounters he had with Klaus. They had lost so many friends that it started to make him realize how many people he also missed.

After checking at least four different people, Violet bent down to turn over a child who had been caked in blood. Taking a deep breath, an image of her sister popped in her mind. Her sister had died from the same sickness she was dying from and it wasn't something she wanted to remember.

"I'm not finding anything; whoever did this did a good job covering their tracks. What pack do you think it was?" He called over still searching.

It snapped her out of her thoughts and she shook her head for no reason at all. "I don't know Marcel; maybe they wrote their names in the mud or even gave us an arrow to follow them"

"Simple Question, didn't need a sarcastic answer but thank you"

Rolling her eyes at his response, she stood back up and stretched a little. Violet paused when she noticed a pair of eyes watching her from the woods. She didn't move and wasn't planning on it until they did. The figure had shifted as fast as they could. She zipped after him.

"So I'm not finding a damn thing and I don't really know what to do" Marcel said looking over in her direction and noticed she was gone. "Violet?..."

He used his vampire hearing and listened in on a scuffle going on in the woods. Zipping out as well, he followed the sound only to find Violet in a predicament. There was a large wolf on top of her and she had her hands wrapped around his neck before it could bite her. Marcel's eyes had turned red and he moved to save her. Throwing the wolf off of her, it landed and growled at them.

Helping her up, the wolf took off back to where they were. "Stay out of this. You can't handle wolf venom so just stay here"

Violet shook her head now staring in the direction he ran off in. "I told you I've got a blood supply in the back so you don't need to worry about me. Taking this wolf down will probably be the most fun I've had in a while"

Before she could use her vampire speed to follow the mysterious wolf, Marcel reached out and grabbed her upper arm gently. "One thing, please tell me this isn't your boyfriend" He only asked because if it was she was going to back down from the situation.

"God I hope not or I'll be single again" They took off at the same time and hoped that it didn't get too far away. Luckily for them it was still sprinting through the open area.

Marcel took action first wanting to keep her out of the way. He went to tackle the wolf but he moved out of the way letting him fall face first. With a faint laugh, Violet zipped forward and waited. The wolf seemed to have its eyes locked on her so they collided with one another. She vamped out and bit hard into his throat.

It was enough to make the person shift back into their human form and Marcel watched before getting up.

"Thank you" Violet said nodding towards him. "Watching you face plant was the highlight of my day"

Narrowing his eyes, he jumped back to his feet and grabbed a pair of pants that were hanging on a line of clothes drying. He threw them towards the man as he was looking between them.

"Does he look familiar to you?"


	8. How old are we?

**Chapter 7: How old are we?**

 **~~One itty bitty favor. Please someone leave a review. I'm desperate :D OH! And thank you for the review that I didn't know I had. For your question, The Mikaelson's will come back but I'm going to wait for the show to come back on. Fear not, I've got a whole storyline going that will start in this and continue onward. ~~Reanna.**

Violet had shaken her head at the question Marcel was presenting. The man wasn't familiar but she knew she wouldn't know him anyway.

"No I've never saw him before but it's not like I slept my way through an entire wolf pack. I don't know any wolf around here except Dakota and some red headed one"

The man snapped his head towards her clearly acknowledging that he knows who she is talking about. He fumbled with the pants and tried to stand up until Marcel stepped over kicking him back to the ground. He placed his foot on his bare chest to hold him down.

"I wouldn't try anything because it will take two seconds to kill you. Besides, this girl over there hates to love wolves and she wouldn't have a problem ripping into your throat. What's your name?"

She smirked at him liking this new found control Marcel had. There was something about him being so mean and vicious that she liked. The man had mumbled his name which prompted Marcel to bend down to hear him clearly. Once he got the name he backed away.

"Okay so here's what I want. I need information for various reasons and you are here at the scene of the crime. Who are these people and why was there a massacre?"

The man who said his name was Bryan crawled back a little away from Marcel. Of course he had to be there at the wrong time. He didn't even know that they would have been there or that one of them existed. Violet had sat down a few feet away and crossed her legs.

"What? We both know this guy isn't going to start talking so I might as well get comfortable" She said flicking her eyes towards Marcel who was disinterested. "Just do us all a favor and spill something. This is not how my day was supposed to go"

"Right, okay maybe this will start the whole thing. I watched your face change once the name Dakota was brought up which shows you know exactly who we know. If you want him to stay alive I would suggest saying something"

Bryan didn't know who to look at or even speak to. He was willing to say something if that meant staying alive. "North East Atlantic wolves...This pack is part of the Crescents"

The New Orleans wolves all belonged in some sort of way to the Crescent Wolves. They were technically one pack but were still divided between various ones. For instance, Jackson and Hayley were Crescents and only belong to that. There were still the Deep Water, North East Atlantic and others that remained there. When Lucien needed the venom for the serum, he had at least seven packs to track down. Some remained in NOLA even though they branched out of the state as well.

"Is your boy a Crescent?" Marcel asked Violet glancing over. Violet shook her head in disagreement but seemed confused on the actual answer, he sighed. "You have no idea what pack he's from, do you?"

Violet was getting sick of being questioned so much especially over him. "I'm not sure I mean I am assuming considering that…" She stopped herself from revealing a certain piece of information because that was something she really didn't want him to know. It was important but she knew that the judging would begin again. "I'm just going to say yes because he is related to Jake and we know he is a Crescent"

It was now his turn to seem a little thrown off. "Wait a minute, Violet you're not going to tell me they are related…Right?" She looked away for a moment. "It looks like I need to pry into your love life more often"

She did a dry laugh at him and a fake smile. "As a matter of fact he is apparently his son which no one knew about. Doesn't mean he is a Crescent though because I have no idea who is Mother is. She could be a wolf from the same or different pack. She could be human for all we know. I think we need to focus more on our wolf friend here then what I do in my spare time"

The way the two had been bickering lately was like listening to teenagers. One was defensive and wasn't willing to roll over. The other was clearly annoyed or jealous and wanted to get anything out of them. It was clear to anyone who was who and it was turning into more chaos than anything else. The man stared at the ground not paying any attention to them.

"Moving forward on what we are actually here for, why did they want to take out an entire pack? You told us they are a part of it which means they are Crescents being hunted down by someone else. Where are you from and why did you do this?" She asked.

"Look you're either going to kill me or they are. I can't give you the answers you want so you might as well get it over and done with"

The vampires had exchanged looks thinking the same thing. If they wanted answers they were going to have to resort to other options. Bryan had moved a little and got up without either of them making a move. Marcel was more interested wondering why this man was so bold against two vampires. Werewolves were always trying to prove that they could hold their own but they usually could never get the dominance.

Bryan held his arms out and Violet stared up at him without an expression. Yawning lightly, she got up and shrugged her shoulders. "Looks like I get to do the honors"

Marcel placed his arm out to tell her not to move an inch. "This isn't suspicious to you? A wolf is just willing for us to kill him? Who are the people you are talking about?"

"My pack" Was all he answered back staring at Violet feeling somewhat on guard.

"Okay, so what pack do you belong to then?" She asked now getting bored with the whole situation.

Bryan had smiled and laughed a little under his breath. She knew that no answer was going to come out and she knew that Marcel would wait for one. That was a major difference between the two. Violet shook her head hard irritated then vamped out.

"Don't you dare do it; we still need answers from this guy"

"You really think he's going to answer to us? Marcel he isn't going to tell us anything and we are going to just waste our time standing here and talking rather than search for ourselves"

"And do you think killing him is going to be the best option?" Marcel asked back stepping towards her since he felt they were shouting because of their distance. "We kill him and God knows what is going to come out of it. We don't know what pack he even belongs to and I don't want to go to war when I just came back to life"

Taking a breath, she let the veins disappear and thought it over for a moment. "It's nothing we can't handle. We've done this all before and it's nothing that we can't control. If I have to start getting bad again I will. I may have gotten control of it by now but if I have to resort back I will"

Marcel was going to answer her back then looked over to the spot where Bryan was. At some point the guy had gotten up and took off without them even noticing. Now he was beginning to grow irritated at the whole situation because they weren't getting anywhere.

Violet had done the same and rolled her eyes before taking off in the direction that he must have went off in. He followed silently until they both had noticed Bryan not too far from where they were. Marcel wanted to get to him before her because he wasn't sure what she was going to do.

They were both racing each other as if they were lions hunting down some prey. Violet had blocked his way and zipped forward as fast as she could getting ahold of the wolf. She ignored whatever Marcel called out to her and snapped his neck then let his body fall.

Every bone in his body was trembling with anger because he couldn't believe that she had just outright killed him. There was valuable information that he wanted to get even if it meant he had to torture and kill him later.

"What are you going to do? Attack me now?" She said with a smart remark before smirking. Violet knew that Marcel would never want to hurt her and knew that he wouldn't try it.

He shook his head in disappointment and turned away before he could let his emotions get the best of him. He felt that he had so much on his shoulders due to the fact that it was his city. Not being able to figure anything out was one thing, Violet was another and being alive was a third. For a moment Marcel thought about the whole New York situation and how he should have gone.

Violet had watched him walk away in strides and shifted her eyes when she knew that something she did was wrong. Not in her mind but she knew that she caused another strike with him. The two of them had been struggling to get along and she wasn't sure why.

"Okay I'm sorry...Wait a minute" She spoke and chased after him. Violet grabbed his hand but he pulled away before turning around to face her.

"Let me ask you a question. Where in your mind did you think that was okay? Is this just a game for you?"

Taken back by the remark, she put her hand back at her side. Violet opened her mouth but Marcel continued yelling. "You knew that we needed to keep him alive and then you go and do something reckless like that. I don't know if it was the whole three years thing but I'm not going to do this with you. We are supposed to be a team and not on two separate paths"

"Why are you yelling at me like I'm five years old?" She countered.

"Because you are acting like it! You're not listening to what anyone is telling you because you think everything is fine the way it is. You are too caught up in the fact that you think you have everything under control when you don't"

Violet had been taken back by that remark, she honestly wasn't sure of what he was talking about. Sure she had been acting different but that was from various reasons. She believed that Marcel had been acting strange from his normal ways. That could be from them not remembering anything for the last seven years.

She had been trying to think of something to say but she didn't know what. "Is this what it's about. Me wanting someone else? I can't think of anything other than that because you thought we would be together..."

Marcel had stared at her for a good while then scoffed with a faint shake of his head. He turned away without an answer and started looking at the bodies again. "We need answers so let's just focus on that. I'll take this entire section and you start looking all the way over there"

He pointed to the left of him and she realized that was where she first started. Violet didn't move and just watched him start looking through the pile of people again. She wanted to say something else but believed it was better to go do what needed to get done.

Stepping away from the scene, she moved half way across the field to pick up where she left off before they were interrupted by Bryan.

Checking at least four more bodies, she walked closer to a tree where there were a few more. As she went to bend down to look at the next person, she heard a ruffle behind the tree which made her pause. Violet thought to herself that it better not be another wolf, she didn't want to deal with the temperamental child behind her.

"Okay, whoever is out there come out before this gets ugly...Again"

Waiting for an answer, she didn't move an inch hoping that whoever it was would listen. She watched as a face peered out from the side and two eyes looking at her scared. The eyes of a child.


	9. The Girl in the Trees

**Chapter 8: The Girl in the Trees**

 **~~OH and I believe in the last chapter I said Violet had Klaus's blood** **d I believe in the last chapter I said Violet had Klaus'** **in the trunk. My Bad! Ferrari's don't have trunks so what I really meant was the backseat. Also, if you want to get a better, detailed look of Aaliyah, I have a face claim. Amandla Stenberg is who I chose especially when she was younger and is in the very first Hunger Games movie. That is all~~Reanna**

Neither one of them moved as they stared each other down. Violet had carefully stood there not understanding why there was a little girl hiding behind a tree. She wasn't sure on the whole situation and didn't know if it was some sort of trick by someone else.

The girl had been standing there for the entire time the situation had been going on. She was too fearful to come out especially when she heard about the wolf causing trouble.

"Hi...It's okay to come out. I promise I won't hurt you" Violet turned around for a moment wondering if she should call Marcel over. She decided she'd handle it herself without any help. Bending down, she waited for the girl to come out.

"You promise?" The girl's voice is delicate and light.

"I promise. My name is Violet, what's your name?"

Stepping out from the tree she got a better look at her. The girl was little and couldn't have been older than ten. She had golden caramel skin and black curly hair. Violet smiled faintly as she took cautious steps towards her, her dark brown eyes looking in every direction. She frowned when she looked the girl over noticing blood covering her pale yellow dress.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt?" She said but the girl stopped walking and looked down at her feet which were covered in a mix of blood and mud.

Shaking her head, she looked back up to Violet. There was something inside of her mind telling her not to trust her but she didn't have much of a choice. "No...I'm okay. My ankle hurts a little"

"Can I check just to make sure you aren't hurt? Violet was speaking as softly as she could not wanting to alarm her. They both were looking at each other strangely. "I promised I wouldn't hurt you and I'm going to keep that. I just want to make sure you don't need any help. I'll make sure you are able to walk"

The little girl had nodded and stepped closer to stand in front of her. Violet grabbed her hands lightly and checked them over before looking at her legs. Her arms had a few scrapes probably from the trees but other than that she was perfectly fine. Her ankle was slightly swollen and Violet assumed it was twisted badly because she wouldn't have been walking if it was broken. The blood must have come from all the bodies.

"I'm sure a few band aids will fix your problem, you never told me your name"

Staring at her arms, she looked at the wounds. "Aaliyah...Aaliyah Thibidoux"

Violet smiled and grabbed her hands again in some sort of way to comfort her. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Violet Badeaux. Is there anyone else with you?"

Aaliyah shook her head no and looked up when she saw Marcel walking off. Pulling her hands out of Violet's grip, she took off back to the tree which startled Violet as well. Looking over her shoulder, she momentarily forgot that he was there. "It's okay; he's a friend of mine. Actually a good friend at that so it's okay to come back out"

The girl had peered again from behind the tree much to Marcel's confusion. He had no idea what was going on but he looked back at her. Offering some sort of faint smile, she came back out and stepped back over.

"Aaliyah, this is Marcel. Marcel, meet Aaliyah Thibidoux. I found her hiding behind that tree and she had a few scrapes and a twisted ankle but she's fine"

Marcel had now offered a warmer smile than before. "It's nice to meet you Aaliyah. What are you doing out here?"

He had looked her over and caught the blood that was screaming at him. He knew that she had been here when it happened but he was talking in the same light tone Violet was. Aaliyah had answers but she also was just a little girl caught up in this mess.

"I live here and then the bad people showed up and..." She had looked down towards the ground, her hair falling off of her shoulders. Marcel and Violet exchanged a look thinking the same exact thing.

"Do you know who did this out here? The bad people you're talking about?" Violet asked.

It took her a moment to respond. "The bad people...My Mom said they were bad people and they were people that I shouldn't be around. They aren't okay anymore". Aaliyah had looked up again and turned to Marcel. "You're not going to hurt me like they tried?"

He shook his head bending down next to Violet. "No, I'm not here to hurt you. It looks like I'm here to save you from this"

Marcel lightly tapped Violet's leg to speak with her. They both stood up at the same time and walked a few feet away from Aaliyah. She had sat down on a log and began to rub her ankle a little. She was sad and hurt from what had gone on but clearly knew everything.

"What do you think?" Violet asked him glancing back over at her.

"I'm not sure; if she lives here then she is part of this pack. These wolves now have control of their turning and they must have come in here and tore them all to pieces. With her dress soaked in blood I'm pretty sure that some of these people are her family"

"Never in my life did I hear about them going after children" She answered back thinking of how messed up this got and fast. "What do we do with her? I mean we can't leave her here because whoever they are will come back"

Marcel had rubbed his mouth trying to think of something. He wasn't about to leave a child alone in the bayou either and his rule on children still applied firmly. There was only a few options he could think of but Violet spoke up before he said anything.

"What about giving her over to Vincent? I'm sure he would know what to do with her"

Shaking his head he also looked in Aaliyah's direction. "I'm not going to just drop her off with him, he has enough on his plate as it is" She looked at him knowing exactly what he was going to say next. "She's going to have to stay with us"

Sighing, Violet knew that was going to be the outcome. It wasn't that she didn't think it was right, she just thought about everything in the long run. The two of them were going to take in a child and that was a responsibility. They were going to have to get along and act almost like parents for her.

Walking back over to Aaliyah, she looked up at them peaceful. "Does it hurt?" Marcel asked pointing down to her ankle.

"No, I was just trying to get some of the blood off of my feet. It's not broken, is it?"

"I'm pretty sure you would know if it is" Violet spoke with a smile. "Hey, how about you come with us and we can get out of here. We'll take you some place safe and get you all cleaned up, how does that sound?"

Aaliyah bit her bottom lip gently and thought about it to herself. Her dark brown eyes were shifting around the place again still scared of them. "I'm not supposed to go anywhere with strangers"

Violet had laughed lightly while Marcel smiled. She was at least warming up to the idea of them. Aaliyah wasn't scared of them in general; she just watched all of the people she knew get murdered. She was fearful of what was to come afterwards.

"What if I bribe you with some ice cream? We'll pick it up on the way and you can eat it at our place" Aaliyah paused and glanced at her with a slight smile, apparently Violet had a way with words.

The girl had nodded and they both were glad it was an easy situation. Slipping off her leather jacket, Violet put it around the girl even though it was warm enough outside. "I'm not sure if I can walk though, it kinda hurts. I maybe lied before"

It was now Marcel's turn to do something for her. He bent down and told her to climb onto his back. She did what was asked and the three of them began making their way to the car.

Once they reached the famous purple Ferrari, Violet hit the button to unlock it and opened up the backseat. Marcel had gently put Aaliyah inside and she began to buckle herself in it. When she moved over to the driver's side she had realized the car door was slightly pushed open.

"New Orleans we have a problem" She said looking at Marcel who was sitting inside of the car already. "The blood is gone; I had the stash of Klaus's blood sitting back here"

"What do you mean it's gone?"

"What do you think I mean? Someone got into this car and took the blood that I had tucked under my seat" Violet had snapped her head out of the car and began looking through the woods. She wasn't sure if someone had been watching them the entire time but she had a strange feeling for a split second.

"Why do you keep someone's blood in your car? Isn't that a little gross?" Aaliyah asked breaking her out of her thoughts.

She hadn't answered until she got inside and started the engine. "Out of curiosity, do you know what you are?"

Violet wasn't asking to be harsh or anything but she honestly didn't know how to answer the question. There was no explaining something to a little girl if she didn't understand their world. Aaliyah had to be a werewolf but they didn't know if she understood that or not.

"A little girl?" Aaliyah gave her a strange look as she turned to pull the car out of the spot.

"Well that answers one question" Marcel said quietly to himself.

After their trip from the Bayou they had taken up on their promise and stopped for ice cream some place in the Quarter. Violet had actually driven to the church where she knew Vincent was and debated on going inside and telling him about their findings. It had been a long day and the sun was almost all the way down.

Aaliyah had seemed very interested and curious to their surroundings which meant one thing, she had never been inside of New Orleans before. She sat peacefully in the back eating her mint chocolate chip ice cream and didn't say a word. Occasionally Violet and Marcel would peer back there but she seemed pretty happy and content as if she never saw a bunch of people get murdered.

Marcel turned to Violet as she cut the engine and sat their staring at the building. "You know we can't do this, right?" She said quietly.

"And you know that we can't just drop her off with Vincent. What is he going to do? He's a witch; we have a better chance keeping her safe than him"

"What if her parents or cousin or sibling or someone comes back for her?"

He had given her a look and she knew that the girl couldn't have any family left. They wanted to leave a lot of questions unanswered for the time in order to make Aaliyah comfortable and trust them. They didn't want to make her be afraid of them in any way.

"So what do we do?" She asked even though she knew she said the same thing earlier.

"You know what we do. We take care of her until we can figure this whole thing out" Marcel had been in the same predicament with Davina so it really wasn't anything new for him. The only difference that he was facing was that she wasn't a teenager, she was a child. Being raised around the Mikaelson's was something different but he knew that he could do that. Violet on the other hand knew what it was like to take care of a child. She had been the mother figure to all five of her siblings but she wasn't exactly the motherly type all these years later.

"Wonderful. We get to live as if we are humans..." She said to herself thinking about the whole situation.

"Isn't that what you wanted seven years ago?" Marcel questioned giving her a remembering look. He remembered something along those lines.

"Um Violet..." A soft voice had popped up and they both turned at the same time to look at her. "I got ice cream on my dress" Aaliyah said and Violet smiled faintly.

Turning the car back on, she pulled away from the church not acting on what she truly wanted to do. Knowing that keeping her was the best idea and decision, she peeled out of there without a second thought.

"It's okay; we'll get you a new one. I promise"

It had only taken at least twenty minutes to get out of the city, cross the river and end up in the Algiers neighborhood. When she pulled up to the building it was almost like a bittersweet feeling. Everyone's life was about to change. Whether that was a good or bad thing...They'd have to wait and see.


	10. Protect the Innocent

**Chapter 9: Protect the Innocent**

"Why don't you live in a normal looking house?" Aaliyah had asked once they got out of the car. Her brown eyes were wide at the sight and she seemed amazed at the place. Once again, it was unfamiliar to her as she was used to the Bayou.

"Let's put it this way. We had a nice large house with a bunch of different rooms and huge balconies. Then his family decided to take the place from us and then we moved to an abandon building. Long story short, we ended up in this ugly penthouse which I only recently started renovating"

"You complained about this place seven years ago and you are still complaining..." Marcel said looking at Violet who was leaning on the hood of the car.

"Marcel, we are stuck to a one floor, two bedroom loft type thing and I hate it. It's ugly, the way Lucien had it was beautiful and then I don't know what the hell you did to it. At least when I was irritated I got to disappear into a different room in the compound. Now I have to take an elevator"

The banter on the penthouse was something that was never going to end. It wasn't a secret that Violet hated the place and she had already regretted painting the living area a dark purple. It didn't change the look of it and it just wasn't doing the trick for her.

Marcel had bent down to pick Aaliyah up but this time she opted for being carried in his arms. Locking the car up, the three made their way into the building.

"What does renovated mean?" She asked as they were taking the elevator up to the floor.

Marcel looked down at her as she was looking at him. "It means..." He paused trying to think of a way to explain it. "It means to fix things. She didn't like the blue and grey colors I had going before so she decided to paint it purple"

"Do you like purple because of your name?"

It was Violet's turn to look away from the number on the elevator and over to the girl. "You are a very curious nine year old...I have a reputation for liking the color yes but it's not my favorite"

Aaliyah had given her a skeptical but cute look. "Sure...And I'm six and a half, not nine"

Marcel had smirked at her words and held in a laugh. It was funny to him due to the fact that Violet seemed to be met with her match. She had everything on her plate and this was another notch in her belt.

No one else said anything once they reached the floor. Stepping out, Marcel tried reaching into his pants pocket for the keys to the place but it was difficult while holding Aaliyah. "Could I have a little help?"

Turning to him, Violet raised an eyebrow then looked at his pants pocket. She felt that she was in this predicament once and history was repeating. Taking a deep breath, she stepped over and gritted her teeth once she reached her hand inside of his jeans pocket. After what felt like forever, she eventually fished the keys out.

She glared at him once the doors opened and stepped inside. Aaliyah had asked for Marcel to put her down once she saw the large, glass windows that over looked the city. She ran as fast as she could with her bruised ankle over to it. Pressing her hands against it, it was almost like she was a kid in a candy store.

Marcel had another smirk appearing on his face. His eyes trailed over to Violet who was standing right at his side as usual. They both had been focused on the little girl that the silence they shared was peaceful. Violet had looked over for the hundredth time that day and smiled warmly.

"Here's your keys, I'm going to give her a bath" She said which seemed to be the only noise in the place.

As she started walking away, he reached for her hand. "Hey, I'm sorry about the jacket"

"Its fine, all I have to do is wash it. We both know I was being dramatic out there" She hadn't commented on them holding hands until she pulled away.

Stepping over to the window, she bent down to face Aaliyah. "How about we get you out of those clothes and into a nice hot bath?"

She was so interested looking out the window that it took her a moment to respond. Nodding at the idea, Violet held her arms out in order to carry her once again. Marcel had watched them and was growing impressed at the way she was taking control of the situation. Even though she didn't want to do anything, she sure seemed to be stepping up to the plate.

"Hey can you get me one of your t-shirts for her to change in? Mine will probably be too short and yours at least will keep her warmer than mine. Oh and maybe try finding a pair of shorts from me" Violet spoke on her way to the bathroom.

Once they reached the room, she closed the door and put Aaliyah down who wanted to stand once again taking in the scenery. "My home wasn't anything like this...Are you rich?"

Violet had already started the water and was checking how hot it was before looking over her shoulder. "Let's just say we've both had a lot of time to collect a lot of money. And this place was a friends, well enemy well you get where I'm going with this"

They remained silent for a little longer until the water was good to go. "I'm going to be right outside the room for you so just call when you're done, okay?"

She had nodded and put her hand in the water playing with it a little. As Violet was walking away to leave the bathroom, Aaliyah spoke to her.

"I lied earlier, I know what I am. I'm a wolf" Violet had blinked once and thought it over. So she wasn't in the dark as she believed she was.

"Not yet you are but you come from a line of them. Can I ask you a question?" She waited until Aaliyah said it was okay. "Do you know what I am? And what Marcel is?"

The girl had laughed a little finding it funny. "You're vampires, that's why you live here. I may be six and a half but I know a lot. My Mom and Dad talked"

Violet had nodded before slipping out of the room. She saw Marcel digging through a dresser trying to figure out where her clothes were. "Shorts are in the bottom drawer...She knows about us and herself"

"So I heard considering you had the door cracked open" After grabbing the clothes he walked over and held them out to her. "I was thinking we should give her a few days before asking anything major. She seems like she trusts us enough"

Violet agreed. "And very curious. I just hope this doesn't backfire on us or anything"

She was going to continue until she heard the gentle voice call out which was her cue to go back in.

Helping Aaliyah get dressed, she grabbed a hair brush and led her back out into the bedroom. "You can stay here tonight. Your room can be the other one but Marcel and I have to fix that one up a little bit"

She nodded and walked over to the bed but sitting down on it. "This is way bigger than my bedroom at home...Am I ever going back there?"

"Do you know exactly what happened out there today?"

Violet asked right as Marcel reentered yet again. He didn't say anything and just wanted to listen and make sure everything was okay.

Aaliyah had looked down at her hands and then lifted her ankle to look it over. "Are my Mom and Dad dead?"

Violet's breath had been taken from her and Marcel closed his mouth shut as he was going to say something. They both had been hoping that Aaliyah wasn't that familiar even though the dead bodies were a dead giveaway and what happened. She didn't need to be put in that mess nor did she need to see it at her age. There weren't any words to say because they didn't want to tell her anything but she probably already knew.

"It's been a long day, why don't you get some rest?" Marcel finally said to break the silence. Violet bobbed her head in her direction thinking it was a good idea.

She set the brush on the nightstand and told her that if she wanted to get a little more comfortable there she could. Aaliyah climbed into the bed fully and pulled the covers up but Marcel had helped tuck her in. Violet left one of the lights on for her before they left the room.

Violet shut the doors quietly while he walked over to the bar to get two drinks. "It's been a long day is the understatement of the year. Did I think six months ago I would be in this predicament, no"

Leaning on the bar counter, she swiped the glass from his hand before he was able to give it to her.

Marcel took a drink before talking. "Tell me about it. I just came back to life from a witch spell into werewolf business that I don't have any part in for once"

She had taken her jacket off and realized that her clothes were in the bedroom. Violet didn't want to go back in there to disturb her so she sighed before moving over to the couch. "You might want to change your muddy shirt" She commented as he sat on the couch on the opposite side of her.

He took a moment to look down at himself forgetting about the whole ordeal. "My clothes are in the bedroom. Speaking of, you take Sofya's old room"

She disagreed and took another drink. "No, you take it. Though there isn't a bed in there anymore, it's just a bunch of new furniture that I was going to use. I want to stay out here just in case she needs me" Marcel smiled a little and laughed a little at her comment. "Now what are you laughing about? I'm too tired to argue with you"

He threw his hands up defensively. "Who said anything about arguing? I just find you confusing after all this time. Here you are complaining that we took this little girl in and then it's you who is taking care of her"

Violet's eyes looked over his head direction and then she rolled them. Marcel knew he got his point across but she wasn't going to admit it. "I grew up with my brothers and sisters and when my Momma died I had to take care of them because I was the oldest. I just..."

"Your Motherly instincts are kicking in" He joked and in return got a glare so of course Marcel got another laugh out of the situation. "We're going to have to do all we can for her"

"I still don't see why we have to keep her" She commented lowly before taking another drink.

"She's isn't an animal Violet, she needs someone to fight for her because she has no one. Her family is dead, her pack is dead and she only has us. I fought for Davina and I'll fight for Aaliyah because she can't fight or fend for herself"

Violet knew that everything he was saying was the truth but she just didn't want to be put in the situation. They were going to have to act like parents to a girl that they didn't even know. She didn't have an instinct in her body like Marcel was saying to take over. Sure she took care of siblings but that was forever ago and in her human years.

"I need sleep...It's been a long day" She said finishing her drink and placing it on the glass coffee table. She made herself comfortable on the couch but glanced over at Marcel. "You taking the room or what?"

He shook his head getting more comfortable. "No, I'll stay out here and keep you company just in case you need something"

* * *

Morning had finally hit New Orleans and it began like any other morning...For anyone not caught up in wolf drama. The bayou had been normal like any day except for the massacre that decided to happen the day before.

Some of the wolves had gone out into the swamp to see what was left. They were the ones responsible for the massacre and they were extra careful not to leave anyone left…Little did they know that they actually did.

"I want everyone to spread out around here" Bradi had ran a hand through his gelled brown hair standing next to a body. He wasn't sure who they were nor did he care to know. "You guys can go left, you two go right and I'll stay out here"

Mara and Celestia were among the wolves that were assigned to start checking everything. It was a bittersweet feeling knowing that they had done this but most of them weren't bothered. The Crescent and North East Atlantic had been raging a war from the beginning of time leading it back to Esther and Mikael. It seemed like the war would never end as they all hated each other for what reason?

"Anyone saw Dakota this morning? I tried calling him but I didn't get an answer" He asked the two girls while roaming through the bodies.

He knew that Mara hadn't as they were together all that time. It left the red headed wolf to answer. "I don't keep tabs on anyone but now that you say that no. He's probably shacked up in that fancy place with your vampire"

"Someone sounds bitter" Mara commented.

Bradi had scratched the side of his head thinking of what she said. Dakota had been keeping his parade with Violet under wraps for the last six months. He didn't wonder if things were turning in a way he didn't want. He didn't want Dakota to screw everything up by falling completely in love with her. He had promised nothing would come out of it but it wasn't a for sure fact.

"Is that what he has been doing? Staying with her?" Bradi was unaware and it looked like Celestia had tripped up on her words. There was a line of keeping distance but Dakota already crossed it. He seemed puzzled at the thought of it all. "I just hope he knows what he's doing"

"He knows, he's not going to betray us if that is what you are thinking. He isn't that stupid even though it may seem like it" Mara was only kidding but she got a few laughs from a few of the wolves.

"Any news on Marcel yet? His whereabouts?"

A wolf that was passing by them had spoken. "Last I heard his in NY with that Mikaelson chick so I don't think he'll be around"

Celestia cocked her head towards him. "Funny because I heard he was dead"

Aaliyah had opened the doors from the bedroom gently and peered through the crack. She had momentarily forgotten the night before and where she was. It took her a minute to realize she was with the two people that saved her yesterday.

Both Marcel and Violet had been sitting watching the news that was reporting something about people being murdered in the swamp. They hadn't noticed that she had woken up because they were trying to collect any information that the news report was saying.

"Did they find him yet?"

Her delicate voice had made them jump and turn in her direction. Marcel quickly shut the TV off before she could see anything they were reporting.

"Hey you…How did you sleep?" Violet asked shifting her eyes towards him for a moment.

"It was scary…I don't like these windows. I've never been so high up in a building before. I'm a little hungry"

"What is your favorite thing to eat in the morning?"

Aaliyah had quietly moved over to the sofa that Violet was sitting in and seemed to really ponder the question. Her face had lit up when she thought of something, it was something that she had been doing since they picked her up yesterday. She could look sad but a split second later she seemed at peace with herself.

"My Mom used to make me pancakes with blueberries all the time. Can you make those?"

It was hard not to smile or even fall in love with her from the beginning. She was cute whenever she asked a question as if she was curious about everything. After all most six year olds were but it was something they weren't used to.

Violet looked over at Marcel. "I'm going to change and I'll go run to the store to pick up some things because we really need food in this place now that there is a human here" He had agreed with her and said it would be best for him to stay here with her because she couldn't go with Violet. She looked back toward the little girl. "What do you like to do? I'll pick up some things for you to do in here"

"I like to color and paint. I did a lot of that at home. Do you think they have that at the store you're going to?" Aaliyah asked staring at Violet once she got up.

"Don't worry, I've got this whole situation handled" She said walking into the bedroom in order to change out of yesterday's clothes.

Marcel had sat opposite of Aaliyah before calling out to Violet. "I'm actually a wolf" She whispered to him with a little smile mocking Violet for the human comment.


	11. Mieux vaut tenir que courir

**Chapter 10: Mieux vaut tenir que courir**

 **~~Thank you again for the review To clarify, Aaliyah knows that she comes from a line of wolves but isn't one because like you are right, she would need to kill someone in order to turn. I believe I had Violet say she wasn't one yet but she just knows that her parents, family and pack were werewolves. Don't worry; you'll see what their plans are as always. I have your questions answer in the next few chapters dealing with her leaving, Dakota's connection and her emotions so stay tuned! Oh and one more thing, I have uploaded another playlist on 8tracks that applies to this story~~Reanna.**

Marcel had begun channel surfing in order to find something for Aaliyah to do. He was hoping that Violet wasn't going to take long because he wasn't sure how he'd be able to preoccupy her. He had been doing his best like he had done with Davina all those years ago. The major difference was he was now dealing with a child rather than a teenager. One thing he also wasn't sure on was how to handle her because he had never been around a child that young except for Hope those few times.

After settling on a cartoon, he got up and walked over to the other bedroom and opened the door. They were going to have to figure out a place for her to sleep because someone needed to have a bedroom. He didn't mind if Violet took the main one as he figured they weren't going to be in the same bed for a while as long as she was with Dakota.

Walking around, he pulled off a few sheets that were covering some things until he discovered there was a mattress and a closed up bed set. It had confused him as Violet told him there wasn't another bed. Marcel had begun to take everything out and started to set the bed up.

Aaliyah had wandered into the room shortly after but stood in the doorway watching. "Is this where I'm going to stay?"

Marcel was sitting on the floor and popped his head up. He had looked around the place before nodding. "Yeah, I think so unless you want to stick to the other one" Focusing back on it, she had stepped over watching. "You want to help?"

She had smiled and he pointed over to a few boxes that were over in the corner. He was hoping there was going to be stuff for the bed. Her ankle had been doing much better so she was eager to help. As they both did what needed to be done, she set a box on the floor and slid it over to him one he was finished.

"Why are you covered in mud? Was it when you were trying to catch that man?"

Marcel had forgotten to change his shirt still and he smirked to himself faintly. "Because Violet thought it would be funny to rub mud all over me but in her defense I got mud on her first" Helping her with the sheets, she seemed to get the hang of it. "So you know that you're a wolf..."

He didn't want to press for that much information but he wanted to get to know her better.

Aaliyah was smoothing out the blanket when she looked up at him; her eyes had a slight twinkle in them. "Violet said I wasn't but I'm pretty sure that I am"

"You are in a sense but you've got a long time to go for that. As long as I'm here it isn't going to happen. Deal?"

It seemed that the two were getting along great and it was the same for her and Violet. Though she had just been through a traumatic situation, she seemed to stay in good spirit. Aaliyah was shy and curious, not battered and scared. She nodded and smiled before sitting on the bed.

"Can I ask a question?" She asked as Marcel moved to the other box in order to fix some more things for the room. "Can I see your fangs?"

He had paused the digging and raised his eyebrows. "How about we wait for that a different day?" Marcel was a little nervous to do so as he didn't want her to think that he was a bad guy buy showing his true face. "What um, what did you like to do out in the Bayou?"

Changing the conversation, Aaliyah had frowned faintly before playing with the blanket. "I like to paint though I'm not that good at it. My Mom used to tell me I'd have all this money once I sold them but..." Her voice had trailed off seeming to be stuck in her words.

He began to regret asking it so he stood up away from the box. Marcel walked over and sat on the edge of the bed and just stared at her. There wasn't anything he could say that would change the situation or even help it. All he could do was show that she had someone at her side.

She wanted to continue so she shook her head out of the thought but shifted her focus to the window. "I miss picking flowers, yellow is my favorite color so I was always trying to find some but I never did. There was this one time that Jordan had found a really pretty one so I saved it in a book and gave it to Moonlight"

"Who are they?" He questioned confused on the story.

"Moonlight is my yellow teddy bear. I always sleep with him...Do you think you would be able to get him back? Oh and did they find him?"

Marcel and Violet had to go back out to the swamp once they found out where her home was. They both had agreed to pick up a few things that belonged to her to make her feel more comfortable around there. Another thing they needed was some of her clothes because Violet was going to have to pick up some while she was out.

"Yeah, I could get him for you. Find who? Who is Jordan?" It seemed a lot of questions were being thrown around.

Aaliyah turned back to him with a smile on her lips, she was thankful she could get him back. "I got the bear when I turned four, well at least that was what I was told…"

* * *

Josh had stepped into the store that Violet had asked him to come to and looked around the place. He wandered through a few isles until he saw a familiar light blue plaid shirt down one of them. Walking over, she turned her head to look at him, a clear panic in her face.

"What's going on? Why are we meeting in the pancake isle?"

"You have to help me. I'm not calling Marcel so I can look like an idiot. You were human not too long ago compared to me and I need you to tell me how to make pancakes. There are so many different things on this shelf and I don't know what to get"

He had no idea what was going on or why she was concerned with the situation. Leaning forward, Josh grabbed a couple of boxes and held them in his hands looking them over before he gave them to her. Violet couldn't remember the last time she was ever in a grocery store. She never had to worry about it before considering that all she needed was blood. This was becoming a challenge.

"Well any of these work. It really doesn't matter what kind you're getting you just have to look for the word pancake" Josh found it interesting yet hilarious but he wouldn't dare make fun of her for it. "What's this all about?"

Snatching two boxes out of his hands, she felt she was taking too long. "Look I'll answer your questions later but I have one last one. How do you make these?"

Even she didn't know how to make something so simple. The last time she ever made any sort of food was back with her human family all the way back in the 1800's. Everything was different and you couldn't buy or make half of what you could today. Violet had a skill in everything else but cooking wasn't about to go in her favor.

Josh had pointed to the box as she looked it over. "There are directions right there. All you do is add water to the mix and there you go. Should I even want to know?"

Violet had thanked him for the help then began walking away. She paused looking both left and right before making her way to the registers. Josh heard from where he was standing "I forgot the blueberries..."

Once Violet returned she needed help getting all of the bags upstairs. She may have went a little overboard but there was a lot that she needed to get. She had stocked up on a bunch of art supplies ranging from notebooks, paint, crayons, pencils and coloring books. Violet wasn't sure on what she preferred doing so she got a little of everything.

Marcel had reminded her that Aaliyah would need clothes which yet again ranged from a variety of things. She of course would need undergarments on top of shirts, pants, shorts and dresses. The weather had changed almost daily but since it was summer it was very warm out most of the time.

It was now her turn to attempt making these pancakes that Aaliyah wanted. She left it up to Marcel to pull everything out and she went to change into some of her new clothes. Violet had believed she made something like this once but she couldn't remember all the way back in the 1830's.

Rolling her plaid shirt sleeves up, she stared at the box reading the directions and putting a pancake on the plate. Violet brushed her hair out of her eyes then tossed her hair into a ponytail. This wasn't coming out the way she wanted it to.

"Um…" Aaliyah had popped up from around the corner and looked at the pancake on the plate. "I don't think they are supposed to be that color…"

Glancing behind her shoulder, she knew that it was supposed to be a light brown, not almost black. "I don't know what I'm doing and I'm trying to follow these stupid directions which are simple but apparently I can't figure them out…Marcel I need help!"

The girl had stepped over and tried looking onto the counter but was too short. Flying out of the room, she grabbed one of the chairs at the large dinner table and told Marcel that she didn't need help. Dragging it back in, she climbed on it and looked.

Grabbing the blueberries, she poured them into the bowl of pancake mix and started stirring them in. Violet looked over and watched her before seeing she changed into one of the dresses she bought. Smiling a little, Aaliyah went to pour the mix into the pan but she quickly grabbed it so she wouldn't get burnt.

"I watched my Mom make these all the time. I'll tell you when to turn it over so they don't look like that…" Aaliyah pointed to the plate of almost pitch black pancakes.

Marcel was curious as to what was going on especially since Aaliyah had disappeared and reappeared without a trace. Walking over, he stood behind both of them and raised his eyebrows at the scene. "Uh Vi I hope you know that they aren't supposed to look like that"

Violet had turned around swiftly with the spoon in her hand. It had taken her by surprise and he held his hands up. "What? You're going to attack me with a spoon?"

"Don't tempt me. Go ahead and laugh at my cooking skills but I want to let you know that I can't even remember the last time I made anything or even what that was so I'd like to see you be in my shoes"

Marcel smiled at her. "I'm sure mine would look a lot better than whatever that is" He was joking and hoped that she would know that, she did luckily for him.

Aaliyah placed her hands on the counter and leaned forward to check on it. Grabbing the spatula that was next to it, she lifted the edge of it up gently. "Okay, you can flip it now" Marcel and Violet were focused on battling back to one another so she tugged on her sleeve. "It's going to burn if you don't flip it"

Finally listening, she turned back around to help with the rest of breakfast. Once everything was done, she had made Aaliyah a plate and put it down at the table. Carrying the chair back, the girl hopped in and grabbed the fork before pausing. "Just so you know you are still missing something"

Her brown eyes looked up to Violet whose face fell flat when she spoke. She was trying her best to make this girl comfortable but seemed to be failing in every aspect. "What am I forgetting now?" She asked.

"Syrup…" Marcel had walked in at the right time because he and Aaliyah had said it at the same time.

Violet sunk down into the chair next to her and placed her chin in her hand resting it on the table. Aaliyah had cut a little piece and ate it anyway. "Maybe next time I'll help you and we'll get it right. I can eat it like this. Jordan had always hated pancakes so my Mom always made him something else"

He had sat down across from her wanting to get to the bottom of this person, whoever she kept bringing up. Violet glanced at him with a curious expression but he instead began asking questions again. "Aaliyah, who is Jordan? I asked you earlier and you seem to avoid it every time I ask.

She had paused her eating and looked between the both of them. Whoever this was something close or someone that knew something about anything. Aaliyah took another but kept her eyes now focused on the plate. "If I tell you…Do you promise not to hurt him?"

The promise word seemed to get brought up in any sort of way. It was being passed between the two girls constantly but it looked like Aaliyah was big on them. They had both nodded and she hesitated answering. "Jordan is my older brother…"

Violet's mouth popped open slightly and she moved her eyes over to Marcel. He seemed to be in the same boat and he leaned back in the chair rubbing his head. Either the kid was missing or one of the bodies that New Orleans had been cleaning up.

"Was he out in the swamp with you? Where is he now?" She asked wondering if the girl knew. There was now a whole new problem arising and they needed more answers and fast. "Aaliyah, we can help you and your brother the most we can. You need to tell us where he is so we can get him"

Taking a breath, she thought about the question. "He's hiding; he always hides when something like this happens. We got separated and he's hiding"

"Hiding where?" They exchanged glances once again not knowing what to do with this information.

"He never tells me his hiding spots, that's why he was good at playing hide n seek" She took another bite of her pancake. "Jordan's okay though, he's always okay"

* * *

Violet and Marcel had made sure the penthouse was secure enough in order to pay Vincent a visit. They wondered if he knew more about the situation than he was telling. Planning everything out on the car ride, they had a lot to do in tomorrow but they both believed Jordan would be safe for the day. They needed to figure things out before stepping back inside there. Truth of the matter was them having Aaliyah was possibly more dangerous than either knew.

"Maybe I'll give Hayley a call later or something. She may know the family…Well that is if she still has the same number or whatever" Violet spoke stepping out and walking to the church doors.

"When did you…Oh I forgot you went to Mystic Falls" Marcel commented forgetting all about her road trip that he wasn't alive for.

"Yeah, the time I went to hell and back in order to make you come back to life. I went all over this country to save your ass and only came across Hayley. Let's just get this over and done with"

Stepping inside the empty church, they both called around for the witch but he wasn't anywhere there. It seemed like every time they had a problem he was never to be found. Violet looked high and low while Marcel waited at the door knowing that he wasn't there but he couldn't say anything to stop her.

"Let's just turn our focus on her brother because we can't leave him out there. We'll go back and find out more about her and maybe we can come up with some sort of plan"

Violet turned to him and started walking down the aisle towards him. "Vincent has to know something about this kid. Why didn't she tell us about him in the first place? Like when we were out there?"

Shrugging, he honestly thought the same thing. "Maybe she didn't trust us or thought that we were going to be the bad guys. It really doesn't matter now though, does it? What I'm concerned more about is that there is an eight year old boy hiding in the Bayou from wolves who more than likely want him dead. You know my rule about kids"

Placing her hands on the back of her neck, she hung her head knowing that is what they had to do. "Why us? I honestly miss when everything was simple, like me hating you and wanting this damn city. I swear once this is over I really need a vacation…On a beach…And a bottle of vodka"

Opening the door, he held it for her to step out first. Walking back over to her car, he shook his head at her not expecting anything different. "You know she's going to be with us for a long time along with Jordan

Marcel was getting a little fearful that Violet was going to pull one of her stunts again like in the past. He didn't want to be left alone in a situation that he was unfamiliar with and let alone one started with her. She was good at disappearing when times got tough or when she didn't like the situation she was in

"We went from a King and Queen that owned this city to being dead for the last three years and here we are now, parents…Who would have thought we'd be one giant happy family"


	12. Mists of the Bayou

**Chapter 11: Mists of the Bayou**

The next morning Violet had laid in bed staring out the large window. She had forgotten to put up the new curtains she bought and the sun had been lighting up the room since it came up. She had felt bad that Marcel had taken the couch and she tried to convince him to stay in there with her but he refused. Aaliyah yet again had slept peacefully in the other room and she seemed to be adjusting well to her new life and situation.

Since it was morning that meant the two of them had to head back out into the Bayou in order to find Jordan wherever he was. It was something Violet wasn't looking forward to because they didn't even know where to start looking. No one knew if he was even in the swamp still, he could have been roaming the streets of the French Quarter for all they knew.

Grabbing her phone from off of the night stand, she noticed a few messages from Dakota but had to wait to get back to those. It was hard keeping her distance from him because she had wanted to see him sooner or later. Violet was doing her best in keeping Aaliyah and Marcel a secret even though people have had to see him at some point. For now he was keeping his distance and staying inside of the penthouse.

Searching through her contacts and dialing, she was hoping that Hayley was going to pick up. She wasn't sure if this was still the number she was using but there was no answer. Violet decided to leave a message. Waiting for the beep, she sat there and tried to think of what to say.

"Hey Hayley it's Violet. Well I hope this is Hayley or this is going to be awkward. Anyway, I wanted to call to see if you knew anything about a family in the Crescent Pack. There last name is Thibidoux and I need some info so if you could at least call or send a text...I can find this out on my own if not but I thought I could call you first. No harm right? Anyway again..."

The beep had cut her off and she pulled the phone away from her ear to look at it. Violet wasn't done with the message but apparently it was done with her. She called one last time to finish what she had left to say. Waiting for the beep again, she took a breath getting out of bed.

"It cut me off so don't judge me. How do you do it? How do you raise a child when you live in this world? I don't know what I'm doing and I don't think I'm doing a good job at it…I wanted to have this so bad and now I have it yet I'm not doing it right. I just…Please call me back"

Stretching slightly, she plopped down at the vanity to get ready for the day. She was just pulling out her hair curler when she heard the door open so she looked over to Marcel walking right in. "Would it kill you to knock?"

Looking away from the bed, he had assumed that she was still sleeping. "Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. I came in to get clothes, is that okay with you?"

Violet didn't say anything and began to do her hair. He started grabbing a few clothes from the dresser watching her. There were a few different things that ran through his mind but only one fell from his lips. "I called Josh to see if he can stay here with Aaliyah. I don't want to leave her here by herself while we're gone"

She turned in her chair to see him halfway with his shirt of. "Living with you is like living with a teenage boy" Spinning back in her chair to face him, she still played with her hair. "We're not going to be out there long, right? It's supposed to storm later and I really don't want to get caught in the Bayou with lightening over my head"

Marcel had smirked towards her as he was walking out. "I don't know why you are so concerned about doing your hair because we're only going out there to pick up this kid" He had slowly stopped when he realized why she was doing it.

Violet and Dakota hadn't gotten to see one another since they had picked up Aaliyah. He knew that she wanted to see him but there wasn't any way for her to sneak out. She had wanted to take care of the little girl that she had hardly thinking about him. Marcel knew that she was waiting for her chance to go out there and visit her old friend.

Slipping into the bedroom, Aaliyah had popped in and sat next to Violet on the chair. She watched her carefully as she began to curl pieces of her hair. She had a glow on her face like she could carry the world and be okay with it. Swinging her legs, Aaliyah leaned forward and grabbed some of the make-up.

"Go ahead and play with it, I can always buy some more"

"My Mom never let me play with hers because she used to tell me I was too beautiful for it. I think you're pretty with it"

Violet laughed with a closed mouth and looked down at her. Smiling faintly, she played with Aaliyah's curly hair for a moment. "How about when we get back, we have ourselves a little girl day. We can play with makeup and do each other's hair. How does that sound?"

She had nodded with a large smile and leaned over to wrap her arms around the vampire. Violet's smile had faded as she wrapped her arm back around her. She didn't know why she frowned but there was a thought that crossed her mind. She and Marcel were the only people she had excluding Jordan if they are able to find him. Aaliyah peacefully got along with them and she knew that she didn't have anywhere to go.

Marcel had stepped back into the room after his change of clothes but paused when he saw them sitting there in a warm embrace. Violet had lifted her head from the top of her head and looked to him before looking away. The knock at the door had broken their attention and Aaliyah had sprinted off towards the door. They both had jumped at the chance just in case it wasn't Josh. Whipping the door open, they both went to stop her until they saw Josh standing there.

He looked down at her and Marcel didn't exactly tell him why he was coming over. Josh's eyes now looked between the two of them in surprise. "Hello little girl who I've never met before. Did you guys pull a Klaus and have a baby I don't know about?"

Josh meant it as a joke because it was quite obvious that vampires couldn't have children. The thing that made him say that was how much Aaliyah could pass as their child. She had strong facial features but as he looked between all three of them there was a strange similarity. She smiled at him before backing away as Marcel stepped over.

He smirked at his comment. "Good one Josh…I need you to babysit Aaliyah here for a little while. Violet and I have to go to the Bayou to get some of her things and find a person of interest"

* * *

When the former couple arrived back in Violet's favorite place, thunder was already looming over their head. They had been doing their best trying to find out where Aaliyah had lived in order to pick up some more clothes, toys and find anything belonging to Jordan. They had been going to the wrong houses because she specially told them that her house was a light grey and the ones they kept coming across were little cabins.

Violet began to think Marcel didn't know how to take directions because every house they went into was not it. They decided to split up and go separate ways in order to cover more ground. All of the dead were gone but there was still an eerie feeling in the air. She kept feeling like she was being watched and they more than likely were by the wolves who did this.

Popping open the door, she believed it was the house as it matched the description. Violet was willing to wait before he tries to get lost again on his way there. She sent a text knowing that he wasn't anywhere near her and began to look through the empty home. Walking over to the wall with pictures, she saw a family which proved that it was Aaliyah's home.

Violet now went upstairs and investigated whose room belonged to what person. She decided to go to Aaliyah's first because she had quite a good enough idea to grab what she thought she needed. Searching for any type of suitcase or bag, she grabbed handfuls of clothes and loaded them inside. The yellow painted room was filled with everything any little girl would want that she couldn't imagine the tragedy that happened. Setting the bags by the door, she moved across the hall to Jordan's.

His room looked like a typical boy's room and she had mentioned that her brother was eight years old. She now assumed his favorite color was green due to the fact that mostly everything it that room was green with hints of grey and blue. Opening another bag, she pulled open the dresser and filled that up.

Violet was lost in her thoughts before she felt a hand placed on her shoulder. Spinning around quickly, she placed her hand around the person's neck. When she realized it was Dakota, she let go and let out a sigh. "What in the world are you doing?" She asked fixing her sleeves on her long sleeve shirt.

"I saw you out here and I was going to ask you the same question. I thought you hated coming out here…Coming to see me?

He smirked at her and she shook her head. It was going to be a sight to see if Marcel showed up but Violet knew that it couldn't happen, she would hide him if she had to. Setting the bag down, she looked back at him. She felt she was stuck in a situation and didn't want to give any type of information away.

"Have you been following me this whole time or what? I feel like I've been watched once I stepped in here because…" Violet stopped realizing that he wouldn't know Marcel is even alive. "Anyway, what are you doing around here?"

"Yet again I can still ask you the same question. I heard about what happened out here and I wanted to see what this was all about. I saw your familiar face and I wondered what you were doing" He had leaned forward to kiss her but she just turned the other way. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong I just have stuff to do and I know I've been breaking off everything but I've been busy and there is stuff I've got to do"

"Is it about Marcel? Did you figure out a way to bring him back yet?"

Dakota studied her carefully wanting to see her facial reaction. He and the wolf pack already assumed that he was back because there wasn't any talk by her or the witches on what she was planning to do. The wolves were good at finding everything out in New Orleans by just lurking in the shadows and staying on top of everything.

"Look…" She stopped for a second and took a breath. "I can explain a whole lot later but I need to get some stuff done. How about we meet up later tonight and I'll try my best to tell you my life story"

Violet had glanced down towards the dresser and wanted to get more clothes but didn't want to do it in front of him. She and Marcel had been keeping this whole Aaliyah thing quiet and how would she tell him what happened since he already knew? She had missed Dakota all of this time but she felt it was her duty to start with other things. Violet now focused her gaze out the window and noticed Marcel approaching the house.

Cursing under her breath, she grabbed him and started dragging him to the closet. "Hey, what are you doing?" Dakota tried protesting but with her strength he couldn't.

"Just stay in the closet and don't come out. Trust me on this one because I really don't want to deal with this right now" Shoving him inside, Dakota was still protesting but did what she said.

Cracking the door, she picked up right where she left off once Marcel found her upstairs. "I got everything pretty much taken care of with these clothes so if you want to get my car…"

He had been doing the same thing she had and that was checking the room out. She didn't want him to find Dakota in the closet even though this was proving to be a major reveal. He was going to find out he was now alive and this wasn't going to make anything easier.

"You didn't park far from here so I'm sure we could carry them…Unless you didn't want to of course" He stopped talking and looked out into the hallway and the other bags. "I don't think we're going to find him out here, I really don't even think he's here"

Violet placed a finger to her lips to stop him from talking. Marcel had narrowed his eyes at her wondering why she was shushing him. That of course raised his suspicions so he looked around again before taking the bag from her hand. "I think we just need to get out of here. I don't like the silence and there are a pair of eyes watching us"

"How do you know that?" He asked glancing out the window thinking someone was right outside.

"I just have that feeling…It's creepy out here. We just need to get back and you know, do our usual thing"

Violet had been trying to turn it around but she was just trying to hint that someone was watching and listening. She didn't want Dakota hearing who they were talking about because nothing was obvious at that moment. Marcel was obviously right in front him so she was trying her best to get him out. Moving out into the hall for the other bags, he turned his attention to the closet and stood there staring at it before her voice broke him from it.

* * *

Hours later Violet had been sorting through the bags which took longer than expected. Aaliyah had been helping but she had mostly been staring at her family picture that she took off of the wall. She thought it would be good for her to have it but at the same time it was haunting.

Marcel had been trying his hand at cooking and was already proving to be better than Violet in that situation. The two of them had been asking more questions about Jordan and her family in order to figure out what they could do to help her brother. Aaliyah had taken her time eating and answering but they felt like they weren't getting enough to do anything.

"Violet…" She spoke softly which caught her attention. Violet had been sitting on the floor of the penthouse folding clothes while Marcel and Aaliyah sat at the dining table. "I think Marcel's cooking is much better than yours…It isn't black"

Marcel had laughed to himself as Violet made a face at him. "You took care of someone before so give me a pass here" She was referring to Davina but she sighed afterwards. "I guess I'll stop cooking for now on"

Aaliyah had frowned a little and turned in her seat to see her. "No, I like your pancakes when they come out correctly" She smiled and Violet shook her head with a smile back.

Feeling her phone buzz behind her, she reached back and scanned the message before jumping up. "I gotta go for a little while. I'll be back much later"

Watching her, Marcel slowly stood up. "Where are you going?"

"I just got something to take care of. I'll be back, it's not like I'm going out of state for this or whatever. I'll more than likely be in the Quarter so you can call if you need me"

He debated on saying it at that moment but he had to. "I know your boy was out there today. What does he even want? You know that things are getting more complicated…"

Violet held up her hand while slipping her jacket and hood on as it had started raining earlier. "Yeah you're worried and me and all of that. I know Marcel, I'm not a child"

"That wasn't what I was going to say but yeah I am worried. This isn't a smart thing to go do. I don't even trust the guy and Aaliyah is part of his pack. You can't trust him Vi"

She had brushed off his words and continued to the door. It was now Aaliyah who jumped up from her chair and followed her wanting her to stay. "You were supposed to stay…We were going to have girl time"

Violet had completely forgotten that she had said that this morning. She needed to get out and take a break from this situation for a while and she really wanted to talk with Dakota. There were things they needed to discuss. She thought it over for a second. "Look, I have to go see someone so I'll be back in a little bit. We can do it once I come back, okay?"

Aaliyah had frowned a little and looked at her. "You promise?"

Marcel had looked at the time realizing that it was going to be too late by the time she got back and Aaliyah was going to have to be into bed. "You don't need to go see him Violet, all this is doing is bringing trouble and that is something we really don't need now"

"I'll be fine. I'm a vampire first off and I can handle any wolf. Second, he is my boyfriend and I can see him whenever I want. Third, you can't stop me from going" She said pulling the door open. "And yes I promise I'll be back soon so we can do all of that"

Violet slipped out quickly before either one of them could protest. Marcel had walked over to Aaliyah and told her he would do anything that she wanted to do…Only problem was she wanted to spend time with both of them.

Arriving at a bar in the Quarter, Violet and Dakota had met up right on time. They had sat way in the back from everyone to enjoy their private visit.

"So uh, I see that Marcel is back from the grave. When were you able to do that?" Dakota asked leaning back in his chair wrapping his arm around the back of hers.

Violet looked at him and leaned back as well. "Look, I wanted to tell you sooner but I didn't think you would take it lightly. I know it isn't ideal because I said I was going to leave once this was over but I have to stay in New Orleans so our plans are a little nixed right now"

Dakota had shifted his eyes and cocked his head a little. She knew that he was upset because they were planning to leave the city once he was brought back. Violet wasn't aware about his involvement with the Bayou massacre nor was he going to say anything about it. He moved a little in his seat so she looked at him.

"You do love me right?" She bit her lip hoping that she was going to get a good answer.

"Of course, if I didn't I wouldn't be here. I just don't want Marcel getting into our situation because I'm aware of your history with him. I just don't want to be played as a fool"

She had agreed with him knowing how it felt to be played in that sense. It wasn't a good feeling and she had felt like that for years before. Violet wondered if Dakota would know anything about Aaliyah or Jordan so she wanted to change the conversation. She was trying to figure out a way to move it from that and not sound too interested in what happened.

"So…What happened out in the swamp? I mean you are a wolf and all so what do you know?"

He looked at her and seemed to really think about it. "I don't know, I guess two packs had beef with one another and they decided to take matters into their own hands. From what I heard, the Thibidoux family or whatever made some bad deals with the others and they got angry so they did what needed to be done. Why, do you know something I don't?"

She shook her head heavily before playing with her hair. "No, I just watched it on the news. They had kids or something right…Wait, was that the house I was in today?"

Dakota had nodded before looking around the room. "You know, I still don't get why you were out there let alone with him. I mean it doesn't add up that you don't know anything yet there you were looking through the house. I really don't want to point the finger but you know something Violet and I have a pretty good idea of what that is"

Glaring at him, she reached for her bag wanting to get out. "I've got something to take care of but it was nice to see you. I'll text you tomorrow…"

Standing up from her seat, she pushed the chair back but he held it in place. Gritting her teeth, she looked down at him but he stood up as well. Placing his hand on the table, he leaned forward to look at her. Turning his head, he watched her; he eyed her up like a piece of meat.

"I just hope you know that you are stepping in deep water by trudging out in my territory. The wolves aren't going to take it too kindly with you and Marcel lurking"

Kicking the chair back so that he couldn't keep her trapped between him and the chair, she moved out of the way swiftly. As she made her way away from him, Dakota stared at her knowing he got his point across.


	13. Wolves! Wolves! Wolves!

**Chapter 12: Wolves! Wolves! Wolves!**

The Crescent wolves were all gathering out in their own section of the swamp. There needed to be a discussion about everything that had transpired over the last few days. Bradi and Mara had of course sat side by side and waited for everyone to get settled.

"Okay, I'm sure you all know what we're about to talk about because I know for a fact all of you have been talking. First things first, Dakota here gave us a tip that Marcel is back"

Most of the wolves had rolled their eyes or shook their head in disagreement. The main problem they had against him was due to the fact of how he treated their kind in the past. Another thing was they wanted to have the city for the taking and knew Marcel would never let that happen.

"I know how you all feel about that but we're not going to just back away because the king wants his throne back. We'll still play it cool and silent for now but I want you guys to know that he and his girl have been poking their heads around here for something"

Bradi had leaned forward to look at Dakota who was sitting to his far left. He nodded to him before speaking, "You still have her in the right spot I hope"

He nodded back at him. "Yeah, well I kind of lost my cool over it yesterday but I'll be able to gloss over that if you want me to"

He shook his head no putting enough faith in him to smooth everything over. Sitting back again, Bradi began speaking on the next topic. "When we all went out to the North East Atlantic pack the other day, I noticed that we were missing a few people. I'm sure that they ran off to God knows where but there are two major pieces we are missing"

A few more wolves had settled in so he had waited before saying anymore. Thanks to Dakota and the others skyping along, there was information floating around on a variety of different topics. Bradi of course had to sort through them but this was something that needed to be said.

"As you all know Mason and Clementine Thibidoux have family somewhere in Louisiana and more than likely some other places. The two I want however were not any of the victims in the swamp. They have two children, Aaliyah and Jordan who are still walking around somewhere. They couldn't have went far so I want eyes and ears open to find these kids…Unless someone knows something"

Looking through the group, they all seemed to be doing the exact same thing. No one knew how Marcel and Violet had Aaliyah stashed in the penthouse because no one had even been around them. Jordan was still the missing puzzle piece and it was now going to be a type of fight to find him.

"I don't want the kids hurt or anything but do whatever you have to to get them here. One of our wolves was killed along with the others so someone is doing something"

Bradi seemed to be clueless that the vampires would have her. It wouldn't make any sense for them to have her due to the fact that species didn't get involved with the others. He had believed that the duo had just been hiding somewhere in the swamp.

"There is a storm brewing today so I want some of you looking for them but everyone needs to just back off today"

After a few more words, everyone went their separate ways. Dakota had sat there thinking of a few things especially from what he saw yesterday. He had a good feeling over something but didn't exactly want to bring it up in front of everyone.

Bradi had placed a hand on his shoulder looking down at him. "Everything okay? I want you out there today just in case they go poking around again"

He waited to look at him before giving him a piece of information. "I think I know where those kids are"

* * *

Marcel had promised that they would go out into the swamp every day for hours until they found Aaliyah's brother. Yet again, these two were out gallivanting in the thunderstorm that was pouring down rain. Violet had prepared herself with the tightest and blackest clothes, her hood pulled over her head. It really didn't matter due to the fact that she was pretty much soaked from the downpour.

They hadn't made any kind of small talk as she was avoiding him. Marcel wanted to speak first and was going to do so whether she liked it or not. "So how did it go last night?"

She glanced over at him but his face was also hidden by his hood. He kept his eyes on the trail because everything was slippery. "It was great as always…" He knew from the tone of her voice that she was lying and Violet knew he would catch it. She sighed lowly and spoke again. "Okay, he was an ass last night and that's why I wasn't gone long"

"So the whole story about you coming back for your girl time was a lie then? I shouldn't be this surprised but for some reason I am" Marcel wasn't going to keep assuming things about Dakota, well actually he was going to but he wasn't going to tell her that. "I don't want you getting hurt and that guy isn't exactly the best person to be around at a time like this"

"You gave me the Father speech last night, save that for Aaliyah so when she grows up she knows what she's getting into" Marcel had looked over at her and she did the same for a second. It really was bothering her because she was ignoring how everything happened. She didn't want to believe Marcel on the matter but did have a little voice in her mind trying to steer her that way.

"You want me to kick his ass or something?"

Violet smiled and laughed looking away. "You know it's almost like having a flashback or something. You're acting the same way you did with Jake" Glancing at him again, she listened to the rain hit her hood. "You were just like Klaus"

That easily caught his attention and made him stop in his tracks. She kept walking and with the shake of his head he spoke, "How was I like Klaus? I'm nothing like him"

"Oh come on Marcel, the way you acted. Klaus daggered Rebekah how many times because she was in love with someone and he couldn't stand it. You ordered a wolf hunt and wanted to lock me away because I was in love with a wolf. You were subjugating and cruel and I couldn't have my own life without you hovering over it"

"Well I'm sorry that I wanted to protect you and if you ever say I'm like Klaus. The only reason I did that was because…"

She spun around and stopped in her tracks as well. "The only reason you did is because you didn't want me dating someone let alone a wolf. I was always behind you and I'm pretty sure you knew that I loved you. You are Klaus Mikaelson in a different skin tone whether you like it or not. I'm not saying it to be mean or anything but I'm just saying you are doing the same exact thing"

The two hadn't said much more as they made their way back to the Thibidoux home. They were hoping maybe Jordan would have returned there. The storm was supposed to be a nasty one and both of them didn't want him hiding in a swamp at a time like that. As they approached the house, a familiar face to Violet had been stepping out of it and they had stopped walking.

"Hey V…Look I'm sorry about last night. I don't know what went through my head but I really want to apologize for it" Dakota had stepped off of the front steps but stayed there.

Marcel had shifted his eyes between them though he already knew who it was by his words. Narrowing his eyes, Dakota had smirked a little before looking at the sky. Pulling his own hood up, he walked over them.

"I'm afraid I didn't' introduce myself. I'm Dakota and you are the famous Marcel Gerard. It's strange to see you, I almost forgot what you looked like" He said putting his hand out once he walked over. Marcel had stared at his hand and then turned his eyes onto him. "Fair enough, I see the hatred for wolves still remains the same. Violet here tell you that we're a thing?"

She hadn't said anything but kept her eyes on the two as they were completely facing each other. Marcel was obviously known to have confidence and strength that many wished they had. On the other hand Dakota almost reminded her of Lucien to a degree. He was cocky, confident and wasn't afraid of anyone. It was going to be an even playing field.

As the rain started to calm, Marcel cocked his head a little. "I'm fully aware of that"

"Good because I really don't want anyone trying to screw up my relationship. I have my own pack doubting me and the last thing I want is for you to be on my tail" Dakota had placed his hands on his hips and eyed the vampire down. "She's not yours anymore so I just wanted to make myself clear"

Marcel had to laugh and a wide smile appeared on his face. It was humorous to him that he was being so bold because there was tension that one could cut with a knife. Rubbing his jaw, he had to think it all over. "And you are really dating this guy?" He asked Violet before continuing on. "Look kid, I get this is your first love and probably first girlfriend but I wouldn't suggest trying to intimidate or threaten me. I'm the one who calls the shots around here and it would be a shame if something were to happen. Besides, there is no doubt in my mind that you won't last long anyway"

Moving an inch closer, Dakota had nodded calmly and smiled. "What makes you think that?" He questioned as his tone lowered. They both had been staring one another down as if they were trying to prove a point.

Shrugging his shoulders, Marcel threw his hands out. "Just a feeling I've got. Besides that, has she told you that we've been sleeping in the same bed? I'm sure she hasn't"

"Alright, you two are acting like teenagers" Violet finally spoke turning a little to face them. Neither one of them listened as they had now gotten in each other's face but they just started to argue. It was the truth as she felt bad for taking up the bedroom. They hadn't done anything but it was comforting to her that it was almost like old times.

When Dakota shoved at Marcel, Violet zipped in between them to separate. "Oh my God guys grow up. You're not like five year olds fighting over a toy. Clearly you both are not going to get along and that's that" When she turned her head to looked between them, her hood had fallen off. "What are you doing out here anyway?" She asked Dakota.

Marcel was ready to retaliate but surprisingly stood calm. He wasn't going to act out only because Violet was present. Dakota had stepped back and played with his jacket to fix it. "I told you yesterday, I was coming out here to see what happened"

"And you're going to believe that? This guy just happens to show up at a crime scene where wolves have been massacred. You really can't trust this guy"

Dakota raised his eyebrows and pointed back at him. "And you think he's trustworthy? He tried killing you and my Dad after he said that nothing was going to happen. He's the one that probably did this; he hates us as much as you do. Hell, how do I not know it was both of you?"

Rolling her eyes she spoke. "Enough with the pointless arguing. Marcel, we came out here to do something and I still don't know why you are here. Let's just ignore all of this and go on our ways. Okay? Put your egos away and leave it alone"

Violet wasn't in the mood to deal with the masculinity especially over her. She was never in a position such as that it was honestly overwhelming. Sure Marcel and Klaus had fought over her before but not in a degree that these two were going to. The last thing she wanted to do was pry these two off of each other especially with the rain and Jordan lurking somewhere.

"Take his side, it's nothing that I haven't heard before…"Dakota said before quickly sprinting away from them and out of their sight.

Marcel and Violet had stood there silently waiting for him to completely disappear until either one did anything. They mostly used their vampire hearing to see if he was gone. Popping her hood back up, her hair was wet enough that she really didn't need it back on. Reaching for her she yanked her hand back.

"Don't…I really don't want to deal with this right now. I'm soaking wet, my shoes are full of mud, my hair is going to look like a disaster and on top of it, I just watched to men snarl at each other like wild animals"

He had watched her and nodded slowly. "I just want to apologize. I shouldn't have told him about the whole bed thing and whatever else"

Violet now nodded at his words. "It is what it is right? Let's just see if we can find this kid and maybe later I'll warm up to talk because right now I just don't know what to even think"

Marcel had nodded in agreement and said that he wouldn't speak another word on the matter. It wasn't his place to interfere in her relationship but he thought he was only looking out for her. There was a lot he didn't like about the whole situation but now he had to stay out of it.

Turning away, she glanced up at the sky hoping that the rain would stop soon. When Violet moved her head to the right, she froze seeing a pair of eyes watching her. It reminded her of the time she met Aaliyah so she was pretty sure that it was Jordan. Whispering to Marcel, he turned around as well seeing a boy standing in the doorway of the Thibidoux house.

"Jordan?" Marcel said calmly as they stared at him while the kid did the same. He hadn't answered and instead flickered his brown eyes between the vampires. Before Marcel could get another word in, the kid took off and ran to the left into the trees.

"Nice one, maybe we should just offer him cookies and milk next time" She said watching him run away.

"At least we found him. Don't try to scare him, don't try to intimidate and don't do anything…"

Violet took off after him before he could finish his sentence. Marcel followed behind her and they both decided not to use any vampire speed. He seemed pretty weary of them and it wasn't going to be smart to scare him beyond return. They had both stopped once they were completely surrounded by trees.

"Either this kid is fast or he is damn good at hiding from us. You think he's noticed we've been out here and just never acted upon it?" She asked as they looked for him as he had disappeared.

"Probably, I mean he knows all of his family and pack are murdered so he isn't going to trust us that easily. If we tell him about Aaliyah then maybe he'll come around"

Just as she was about to answer, Violet had gotten struck in the shoulder with a wooden arrow. Yelling faintly, she glared ahead of her to see him holding a bow with enough arrows to injure them. Violet wanted to go after him in a threatening way but she instead just yanked it out slowly.

"Wait!" Marcel called out seeing him take off again. He realized that they were going to have to do something drastic because it seemed like he wasn't going to listen. He instead zipped forward to block him from running any further. When he turned around, Violet had been standing right behind him.

"I would suggest not trying that again because it really hurts" She commented with a slow but strange smile.

The boy went to take off to his right but she had side stepped to block him from that. "What do you want?" He asked without a tremble but strong tone in his voice.

"You're Jordan right?" Marcel asked watching him. He knew the answer but he was just trying to stay in a normal and calm tone. "We're not here to hurt you. How old are you?"

He had nodded slowly in response and his brown eyes had turned to the ground. "They told me that before and I don't trust any of you"

"Look kid, I'm sure hiding out in a Bayou is the last thing you want to do when a storm is brewing. If you want shelter and protection from the people who are out for you I would vote to come with us"

Jordan hesitated saying anything because he wasn't sure on what to do. He knew who Marcel and Violet were because it wasn't like anyone told stories while they were gone. Even though they were dead they were still alive in New Orleans.

"Aaliyah, she's your sister right?" Marcel seemed to be the one asking all of the questions.

That prompted him to turn to his attention. "What did you do to her?" Jordan snapped reaching for another arrow but Violet grabbed it not that he was going to do anything with it anyway.

"We didn't do anything to her. She's been worried about you which made us go on this little wolf hunt for you. We found her alone out here and she has been with us the last few days"

He never jumped or moved from when Violet grabbed the arrow but instead tried tugging it out of her grip. Cocking her head, he realized that she wasn't going to budge. Jordan had reminded Marcel of himself in the faintest way when he was younger. He didn't seem afraid of them and had a fire inside of him that was waiting to come out.

"We want to keep you both safe. Whatever happened out here…You need to be safe and we are two people who you can trust. Aaliyah needs you and doesn't want you running around out here by yourself"

Marcel seemed to have all the right words because Jordan seemed to think of his younger sister and lowered his hand. Violet had removed her own hand from it and waited for him to come up with his answer. He had agreed only because Aaliyah was involved.

Slipping his jacket off, he handed it to the child as the rain began to pick up again. He was only dressed in a t-shirt and jeans; he had to be cold from the rain. As Violet and Marcel led Jordan back to the car they began to wonder of their own thoughts. It looked like they'd play house for longer than they originally thought.


	14. Reunited and Separated

**Chapter 13: Reunited and Separated**

It was a quiet ride back to the penthouse because Jordan didn't want to make any kind of conversation. They had both decided to ask different types of questions but he didn't go into much detail. He was uncomfortable in the backseat and would much rather be out in the Bayou surviving like before. The answers he gave were straight to the point and quick without giving too much information away.

Aaliyah was the exact opposite as she was filled with questions and curiosity. The siblings looked a little a like though they had many differences. He had a little darker skin tone than hers, his face was very boyish and he had a body like a typical werewolf kid. His eyes were a dark hazel but had a fierce spark to them. They had all looked the same because their bodies were built to hold the wolf inside whenever they would turn. His hair was pretty short almost the same way that Marcel had it but he had much more on top of his head.

The things they got out of him mostly was how long he lived in New Orleans, how old he was and who his parents were. Jordan had been born and raised in the same place, was eight years old and his parents were the ones that started the whole situation according to him. Marcel and Violet weren't sure what to think of the matter but wanted to back off like they did with Aaliyah so they wouldn't seem so intimidating.

Once they arrived, Violet pulled out the umbrella she had stashed in the back, opened it and stepped over to his door. Even though everyone was already soaked, she thought maybe he would want to at least shelter himself from the rain. Making their way into the penthouse, he had the same reaction as his sister had, looking at everything with wonder.

Marcel had opened the door form them and Violet waited behind Jordan but he didn't step in. "It's okay, you're safe in here. Trust me, no one is going to come looking for you here" She said trying to inch him inside.

Josh had heard them coming in and stood up from the dining table that was overlooking the city. He had told Aaliyah that they were back and that prompted her to rush over to the door. That was enough to make him run inside and the siblings had been locked in a embrace. Violet shut the door slowly and glanced over at Marcel.

He was walking over to Josh and they started talking so she stepped over out of curiosity and to be nosy. "So you found the kid. Aaliyah was just telling me about him. She's a cute kid; I still feel like you two pulled a Klaus on me with this whole thing"

"Us be parents? Josh, I really think you drink too much when you work at that bar" Violet commented glancing over at the two children. "Anyway, did she tell you anything? Like mention something about what happened out there?"

He had frowned and shook his head. "No, she was invested in that painting and telling me about the swamp and you two and her brother"

It was now Marcel's turn to jump in the conversation. "None of this adds up. Maybe Aaliyah didn't see much but he has to know something. A bunch of wolves are massacred and all we can assume is some weird deal that ended up badly for the North East Atlantic. What I can't figure out is why the Crescents want these two"

Violet had backed away from them and stepped over to the siblings. Marcel was right because that was what the story was coming out to be. The two packs were fighting for either control or some type of deal and it didn't seem right with the other. She placed her hands on their backs and they both turned to look at her.

"I just have a really quick question. "That was...That was your family out there, correct?" Jordan had taken a moment before nodding. "Okay I'm going to assume that you know just like Aaliyah what line you come from"

Aaliyah knew what she was but never gave them what pack. It was that wolf Bryan that gave them the tip. Violet was staying in a tone that was calm and normal without trying to sound suspicious. "Yes I know that I am a wolf..."

"Okay so can you tell me what pack you were in?" She wasn't sure if he was going to know what that meant.

"Our Mom was from the North East Atlantic and our Dad is a Crescent. We lived with my Mom's side of the family because they were more welcoming with us being two different packs. That's who did all of it...The ones that want to kill us"

She had shifted her eyes for a moment never hearing of that before. Usually someone only belonged to one pack but that was what made them unique. It was unusual and unheard of so she took that piece of information in. Marcel had overheard it as well and also seemed confused on the matter. Violet nodded and asked if Jordan wanted to change his clothes and she was thankful that she packed that other bag for him.

"Well I never thought I'd see the both of you in this position" Josh chimed in walking over to the door. "I need to get the place ready to open later. You guys need anything you know you can always call me. I don't charge for babysitting" He joked and once the door popped open Vincent was ready to knock.

He glanced over his shoulder to Marcel who was stepping over after seeing Vincent. "I'm glad we have a party going on. What do I owe the pleasure of to my favorite witch in the city?"

Marcel welcomed him in once Josh left and the witch stepped inside. "I just thought I'd come and see if you guys figured out anything lately. The wolves really haven't been causing any trouble"

"I think we've got a huge problem out of the way but that there is another one lurking right on the surface"

Vincent had seemed puzzled by the statement and went to say something until Violet popped out with the Thibidoux siblings on her heels. "Hey..." Her voice had trailed off and he focused his attention on them.

Aaliyah had ducked behind Violet and peered out over her waist. Jordan rather stood his ground and stayed at Violet's side. Vincent's eyes now went between the two vampires wondering why he had two younger children staring at him. "I know you both can't have kids so what am I missing now?"

Marcel was the one who took Vincent to sit down wanting and having to explain everything to Vincent. Violet said that she would cook something much to Aaliyah's displeasure but she had to learn how to cook somehow.

Believing to make something new and easy, she yet again began to struggle with such an easy recipe. Aaliyah had gone back to her painting and Jordan sat with her until he popped into the kitchen. "I hope you know that you aren't making that right"

She peered over her shoulder thinking it was Marcel coming to critique her again but instead she got it from the child. "You and your sister are nothing alike but apparently you two love to come in here at the wrong time. What's wrong with it?"

Jordan didn't move but he stood a little on the tip of his toes to look. "First you didn't even make the dough right and you don't even have the right ingredients" Her attempt at pizza wasn't going to be her charm apparently.

Looking down at it, she knew she should have just baked cookies because that was something she could do easily. Leaning against the doorway amused, Jordan watched Marcel step in when she called him in order to fix what she did. He was done filling Vincent in on everything and was glad he came in before she tried burning the penthouse down.

As they tried making it together, a loud knock had interrupted their cooking and Aaliyah was eager to answer the door just like before. Jordan had ran for her and Violet stopped doing the same thing. Marcel's hands were full so he couldn't exactly go out and he knew she had it handled.

"Aaliyah, I know you like to answer the door and everything but you really need to quit, you never know who it is" She said walking in strides once she opened the door. Out in the Bayou it would be different because it would just be someone else from the pack. With enemies on their backs, it wasn't a good idea for her to rush forward.

Aaliyah was hoping maybe it would be Josh because she did have a fun time teaching him how to paint. However it wasn't him so she backed away and bumped into Jordan.

Dakota had been standing on the opposite side of them and his eyes trailed down to them. They were wide to a degree but he never said a word. The Thibidoux's had stared back just like Vincent but then Jordan tugged on his sisters' hand to pull her away.

"Vi, who is it?" Marcel asked turning around the corner but froze when he watched the children. That only in point raised his suspicions.

"What are you doing here?" Violet questioned walking closer trying to block everyone else from the view.

"I thought maybe we could talk but I see you're a little busy with..."

She had pushed him gently out into the hallway to ward off the prying eyes and ears. Closing the door gently, Violet took a breath and put her hands on her hips. "You know you're not supposed to come around here"

"It didn't stop me before, did it?" Smirking, Dakota looked towards the door for a moment. "You know I don't want to like intrude or anything but who are those kids? They kind of look like you guys but I know that can't be right, right?"

She knew that question was going to be asked but her mind had scrambled for something. She wasn't going to tell him the truth but there wasn't even a good cover story she could think of. "Oh those are just..." Her voice had trailed off because there wasn't anything she could say that would make any sense.

Dakota seemed to drop the subject completely and moved onto the next topic. "I know I've been acting strange or even mean lately but I just wanted to apologize. I don't have anything against you but it's mostly against him. I've just been on edge, all the wolves have and I'm not saying that's an excuse or anything"

"Good because I'm not going to be treated like an idiot. I knew from the start that you two weren't going to get along or even like each other. I'll talk to Marcel about it but you can't just come around here"

Dakota had narrowed his eyes at her as a few things had run through his mind. He knew that Marcel coming back was going to be a problem because he wouldn't have Violet all to himself anymore. Anything they did he was going to know about so he had to be more careful. Bradi was counting on him and he was trying to hold up his end of the bargain.

"Okay, next time I'll call or text. Now are you really going to tell me who those kids are? I mean, I'm too young to play stepdad" He joked but she seemed less amused.

Shaking her head she glanced towards the door. "It's nothing to worry about. I can't say anything right now"

"Because of Marcel, right? You tell me and he finds out, off with my head. He doesn't scare me Violet"

"That's not the point!" Violet was trying her best to keep her voice down. "I get that you two are going to be at each other's throats but just drop it. Trust me; you haven't even scratched the surface of who I am. I can't tell you right now because...I just can't. When I am able to, I will but until I can trust you enough"

Now it was Dakota's turn to become defensive. "You don't trust me? You picked me up off the side of the road and when embarked on a six month road trip. You didn't know anything about me except that I'm your ex's son. I just can't believe you don't trust me"

Thing were turning for them and it now seemed as if there was a wedge between them. Dakota knew exactly what that was but Violet did believe Marcel in a way. She couldn't entirely tell him about the Thibidoux's because what if he was part of it, which would not end well on anyone's part. He had taken a step back from her and started walking back towards the elevator.

Taking a deep breath and sighing heavily, she turned to face him but didn't budge. "Give me a few days and I'll explain everything. Just give me this time, please"

Dakota had stared at her and waiting for the elevator to go down. He didn't say a word and instead left in silence. After waited a couple of minutes, Violet slipped inside and put on a smile at the scene inside of the penthouse.

The young wolf had returned back to his pack once his visit with Violet was over. He had the gut feeling that he knew where the siblings were and that in case had proved his point. Dakota did have feelings for Violet once upon a time but he instead walked on a thin line with it. It was hard for him due to his ties with the wolves, his Father and of course Marcel.

He went to Bradi's home and stood in the living area pacing back and forth. He didn't want to throw her under the bus but he had no choice.

"So how did it go?" Bradi asked stepping inside of the room. He had sent him out there in order to find out what he wanted.

The wolf had nodded towards him but waited to respond. "They have them. I saw the two kids in the penthouse and Violet couldn't give me an answer on who they are"

Agreeing with what he said, Bradi sat down. "It obviously explains what they have been doing around the house and why she was packing bags...We're going to act soon enough. Let them think everything is fine because those kids are part of our pack whether we like it or not. She doesn't have any suspicions on you though, right?"

Dakota made a face towards him that seemed a little confused. "Well she said she doesn't trust me so I guess that is a strike already"

"So Marcel is getting into her head, exactly what I said days ago. Okay, play it as usual as always unless you just want to give up. I mean, you do seem a little puppy dog over her"

He brushed off his look. "I just want all of this to be over because I honestly don't see the point of any of this"

"You'll find out like everyone else. "We can't have these kids side with the vampires or even grow up because you know they'll come back after us for it. For now we wait"


	15. Coming and Always Going

**~~Just as an FYI, I am changing the years up. Instead of them being desiccated for seven years, I'm changing it to three. The reason is it will fit more into the plot of Season 5. I will wrap these all up and then jump four years which will add up to seven. The earlier chapters are fixed but I didn't want any confusion.~~Reanna.**

The next day, Violet and Marcel had been trying their best to get Jordan adjusted to the penthouse. There was a major difference between the place and the Bayou and it was something he was struggling to get used to. Both siblings had never been inside of New Orleans as their wolf pack wanted to stay out of the city.

He had trouble sleeping throughout the night and had mostly wandered through the place until he got tired. It wasn't as big as his own home and there wasn't anything for him to do. Jordan's calling was nature, woods and moonlight. Even though he was only eight years old, he understood the whole werewolf situation than his sister. Their parents took pride in what they were and Jordan was ready to get older and become what he truly was.

Sitting alone at the dining table, he stared into the city as the sun was shining through brightly. Marcel and Violet had been in the kitchen with assistance from Aaliyah in making breakfast. In was strange to him how she attached to them so easily because they both were strangers. Jordan would have been two and Aaliyah wouldn't have been born yet by the time the two of them desiccated. His sister however was a very curious little girl and wasn't afraid to talk to people she didn't know.

On the other hand he was guarded and wasn't exactly as trust worthy as she was. He felt weird being in the company of vampires. The history between the species was still a fragile one in New Orleans and more than likely wasn't going to change at all any time soon. Aaliyah had run out from the kitchen and had taken a seat across from him. She stared at him then looked towards the window.

"You missed it…I thought Violet was going to set everything on fire. And she pointed the spoon at Marcel again and she did it once before but that's not the point…Are you mad at me?"

Jordan looked over at her with a flat expression. "I just don't want to hear about what goes on. Why are we even here?" He asked her quietly but looking towards the kitchen just in case they came out.

She glanced towards the ceiling thinking it over for a moment. "Because Mom and Dad are dead"

Violet had been stepping out into the main room and walking towards them before stopping. It had always struck a nerve that Aaliyah knew what happened because she must have saw something happen. She also knew what it was like watching her family die right before her eyes and it is definitely something traumatic. Aaliyah seemed to still be in good spirits and never got done when she brought it up.

Catching a look from Jordan, he shook his head and shifted in the chair to stare out the window again. Feeling the standoff posture, she placed the plates down in front of each of them. "Okay so I did better than usual thanks to your help so I hope it's worth eating"

The girl, dressed in a pale pink shirt and black leggings smiled at her and happily dug in. Jordan on the other hand didn't move an inch. "Do you not like this? I can always try something else" Marcel asked once he approached them. Violet glanced between them and didn't say a word.

"He woke up on the wrong side of the bed. He's always grumpy, I noticed that when I watched Snow White. Right Jordan?"

Giving her another look he narrowed his eyes and wouldn't answer. Violet leaned a little on the table and glanced between them. "I'm sure you're hungry. You were out in the swamp for a while and I…

He had cut her off. "You what? You watched my parents get butchered by wolves? You should have left us out there because I don't know you and I don't trust you. I may be eight years old but I'm smart enough to how vampires work. You hate me"

Marcel had also stepped forward next to Violet. "We're trying to keep you safe. We don't know the people who are after you and the last thing I want is two kids running around the Bayou with no place to go and no one to defend them"

Jordan had countered with anything back but instead turned to the plate. He picked up the fork and played around with the food for a moment. He had taken a bite and Aaliyah switched her eyes between everyone in the room. "Is that man coming back here? I don't like him" She commented almost out of the blue.

Glancing at Violet, she didn't want to hurt her feelings so she continued to eat. They weren't sure who she was talking about because they knew she liked Josh and that left Vincent and Dakota. Tucking a piece of hair behind her ear, Violet spoke, "You don't like Vincent?"

She shook her head. "No, the other one. I don't like him…He wants to hurt us"

Parting her lips, she narrowed her eyes between the children. Jordan had nodded towards her with a faint smirk. "His name is Dakota, right? And he is your boyfriend, right? That's really strange…" He said feeling confused on the whole living situation between all of them. "He killed our Aunt and killed some of our cousins"

Freezing in his spot, Marcel wanted to see her reaction. He knew there wasn't something right with the situation and he hoped maybe they would wake her up from whatever state of mind she was in. Violet had swallowed hard but stared at Jordan. "How do you know that?"

"I watched it…My parents told me to watch over Liyah and I hid her in the only place I could think of. She was crying and I stayed there with her until everything stopped" Locking his jaw, he looked down at the plate remembering the memory vividly. It was taking a lot in him to hide back his tears but Jordan was a strong kid. "When I went back, I saw my family dead…They were all there"

Her own eyes had a faint gloss to them because she couldn't believe what she was hearing. It would make perfect sense on why he kept asking her about who they were. Besides that, he and Aaliyah had stared at each other for a moment yesterday and he had to know something. She had paused her eating and slowly rose from her chair. Stepping over to her brother, she wrapped her arms around him.

Violet was too in shock to say anything and wasn't sure what to say. There was one thing for sure though; she wasn't going to look like a fool in love. Marcel wanted to see the look on her face because of his suspicions all along. He felt that she had nothing to do with the whole situation because he knew how Violet could be. Offering his sympathy, he placed his hand on top of hers but she jerked it back.

"No…Dakota is not the same guy you are talking about" She spoke with the shake of her head. Both the siblings had looked at her yet didn't say anything. "You've got the wrong guy"

"Vi, come on. Jordan just gave us our first and only hint as to who was responsible. He doesn't raise any suspicion to you? He's been hanging out where we needed to be and just happens to show up at the right place at the right time"

"Dakota is not like that!" She had caught herself because she knew how stupid she sounded. It was obvious that Dakota was a rat in the situation but Violet was never going to admit that.

Marcel didn't want to play hard on the defense but he didn't have much of a choice to. "He's been using you this entire time, he's a spy. This guy isn't just going to travel around the country with a vampire because he wanted to. He asked questions about me, and you and the kids. He now knows that we have them so he's going to report back like a lap dog"

Gritting her teeth, she popped open her mouth once she turned to him. There wasn't anything she could say that would help her side of the story. She instead turned away and made her way to the bedroom, shutting the doors loudly.

Aaliyah had pulled away from her brother and moved back to her seat. Grabbing her fork, she put a piece of egg on her fork and glanced towards Marcel. "Is she mad at us?"

He had been looking towards the hallway where Violet stormed off. "No, she's not mad at either of you. She's just a little…"

"Dramatic?" Jordan asked with a smirk on his face. Marcel had to laugh at the comment and slowly nodded.

"Alright. You two finish your breakfast; I'm going to call Josh to do some digging about Dakota and more about your situation"

She had nearly jumped from her seat. "Is Josh coming over to paint again?"

Marcel Gerard had gone out to the Bayou for the hundredth time in the last month. Since returning from his sleep, that almost became like a second home since he spent so much time there lately. He had got some information that Josh discovered and that meant going to investigate slowly. Without seeing Violet, he snuck out of the penthouse leaving her to watch the kids.

They had almost become like a married couple with someone always having to stay put in order to watch the siblings. She had been blowing up his phone with text messages but he simply just shut it off. Violet more than likely was now bothering Josh over it because she was stuck with the two of them and no whereabouts on Marcel.

Moving as quietly as he could through the swamp, he wanted to just get a good look on where these wolves were staying. He also wanted to catch Dakota because he had the right choice of words for him. They weren't anything good but he didn't care, he was being protective as always.

With his vampire hearing, he listened until he heard anyone pop into frame. The wolves usually hid deep in the bayou and this time he was right yet again. Josh did some digging and found information on who they are and where they would be. Even though he was a little off, Marcel knew that entire city inside out.

He placed his hands on a large tree and peered forward to watch them from a distance. He was well enough camouflaged that he couldn't be seen but these wolves were one step ahead. Feeling a tap on his shoulder, Marcel spun around to see who it was. In all honesty he had suspected it was Violet but it wasn't him.

"Spying…And here I thought I was the best one at that" Dakota said calmly. He wore a green t-shirt and dark jeans, also camouflaging with the scenery. His unamused expression had burned onto Marcel but he didn't say anything. "You know, if you really wanted to say hi you could have just right on over"

Marcel didn't notice that he had a faint accent until that moment. "Maybe I was looking for Violet after all, aren't you two still a thing?"

Shrugging his shoulder, he looked away from him. "It depends, I'll leave it up to her. Why are you really out here? Obviously you want something and you know she isn't here. Coming to hand those kids over?"

Crossing his arms, he smirked at him. "Why do you want them? You can bring all your friends to our home and take them yet you keep your guard. Simple question to answer"

Dakota had placed his hands on his hips and walked closer to the vampire. He kept a good enough distance between them. He thought it over and decided to answer him. "They are from our pack; yes both of their parents are from two different packs so we can claim them. Basically, their parents were alpha's of the North East and here we have our own"

Marcel had listened to him somewhat surprised that he was talking to him. He didn't think Dakota would say anything but whatever he got he would take. "So basically you want these kids dead because once they get older, they will now take over this little Crescent group" He had nodded yes at him. "I don't know if you don't get it but Hayley Marshall is the alpha of the Crescent wolves"

"She left so here we are under different control. I didn't say I want them dead, it's the others. If I had my way, I would have let them go but orders are orders. Just give them to us, there isn't going to be an issue if you do that little favor"

Seeing that these werewolves weren't going to be afraid or intimidated by Marcel, there was going to be an issue. If he would have been alive for the last three years there wouldn't have been the problem going on now. He was willing to do whatever to protect Aaliyah and Jordan.

"You can be loyal to your pack and fill Violet's head with lies but you are not getting those kids. I'm going to do everything I can for them and the only way you'll get them if by killing me in which you can't"

Taking a breath, Dakota looked back at him with the shake of his head. "It doesn't matter if we can't do anything to you, it's everyone around you. I'd be more concerned for everyone else than you own life at the moment"

Glaring at him, Marcel knew exactly what he meant. As long as the Thibidoux children were in his and Violet's home, the wolves would do whatever it took to get them back. They would work their way from the outside in and Violet was target one. She was being too stubborn at the moment to listen to Jordan so one part of the puzzle was complete.

"So what's it gonna be Marcel? Give us the Thibidoux's or we keep coming at you?" Dakota asked but didn't keep his eyes locked on him. He instead nodded forward in his direction. "Watch your back"

Marcel hadn't answered him and turned around but saw nothing. While distracted it was the wolf who decided to stab him in the back, literally.

Violet had her fingertip pressed on her temples and sat on the sofa. She had just gotten Aaliyah and Jordan asleep and checked her phone for the millionth time over the last how many hours. It was pushing ten o'clock and Marcel was in fact not back yet.

He hadn't been answering any call or text so she of course relied on Josh. He was hesitant to answer her because she found be furious once she found out where she left. He had refused to stop by the penthouse and Violet didn't want to leave the kids by themselves. So since he left this morning, she had been holed up inside of there with the two of them.

Staring at her phone, she waited and waited until the doors had finally opened. Marcel had come through but had staggered inside. Jumping up, Violet had rushed over and wrapped her arm around his waist to drag him over to one of the chairs.

"What happened? Where were you? I've only been calling and texting since at least eleven in the morning" When she sat him down, she glanced at her hand that had a faint spot of blood on it. "You're hurt"

"No kidding…Let's just say I woke up not knowing where I was and my veins are on fire. I need blood" He spoke glancing at her. She didn't move but went into the bar and grabbed a blood bag. Violet went to pour it in a glass but just needed it immediately.

"Who did this? Please tell me it wasn't a witch or something?" She didn't know why she asked that.

"No, try your boyfriend" Her eyes had gone wide for a moment but she bent down at his side. "Yeah, so now you know that Dakota has something to do with everything"

"Why is everyone on his back lately?"

"He just vervained me! And before you asked why wasn't I on any it was because I had been forgetting to take it considering I was dead for years and I've been too preoccupied with everything as of late" After draining the bag, he got up and she moved a little out of the way. He had gone back over to the bar for another.

"You went out to the Bayou by yourself?" She questioned slowly standing.

"As a matter of fact I did. I knew that Jordan had been right because this guy isn't anyone we can trust. You need to realize this. Why he vervained me and left me alone is beyond me but he's threatening you and our kids" Marcel didn't realize he said that but noticed once she gave him a strange look. Brushing it off, he grabbed another bag and began drinking.

Not knowing what to say, Violet took a deep breath. "Well…Maybe since he didn't do anything else maybe he was just trying to keep you safe"

Pausing mid drink, he couldn't believe what she was saying. Marcel hadn't known her to fall that head over heels for someone. "Are you kidding me?" He was no getting angry that there was nothing he could do. In actually could compel her to realize the truth but that was something he didn't want to do.

"Dakota has been using you! He only went with you to act as if he is all high and mighty pretending to be your boyfriend. He went with you to find out when you were going to bring me back. He sticks around because he can get the kids without either of us looking" Pausing, he knew he had to say this no matter how harsh it comes out. "He has never loved you Violet"

Her green eyes had stared at him like a bird watching prey. Marcel had sighed slowly lowering the bloodbag and looked down at the counter. Feeling regret hit him, he questioned why he said anything at all. In was a fact that he was still in love with him and it did bother him that she had been dating Dakota.

"I'm really a fool, aren't I?" Violet said lowly then bit her lip wanting to fight back her emotions. "All this time I thought that he cared and he didn't give a damn about me"

"I didn't mean to say it like that…I'm sorry, I really am"

"Here I was looking like an idiot trying to defend a guy that not only kid their parents but now hurt you. Whether I want to admit it or not, we are the only thing they have and I just screwed it up yet again" Turning her head towards the window, she felt a tear slip out. "The time someone cares for me never ends well, well at least I thought he did"

Placing the blood on the counter, Marcel stepped over to her but stopped in front of her. She didn't wear her heart on her sleeve but Violet usually fell hard for people. Most of the time it was for the wrong reason and this yet again seemed like the case. Holding his arms out, he didn't want to make a more forward but offered what he could.

Looking at him, she laughed lightly before leaning forward. Placing her arms around him, it was a feeling that she had missed for a long time.


	16. If You Leave

Violet had already made up her mind by the time morning came. She had truly debated on it for a while trying to weigh out the pros and cons of the situation. Keeping it to herself, she wanted to make a decision that was best for her.

Usually she weighed everything out and wanted to what was beset for everyone but she changed her mind. This wasn't going to be easy because it not only affected her but it would rub off on Marcel, Aaliyah and Jordan. After feeling like a complete fool, she felt embarrassed that she ended up falling for someone who wasn't who they said they were.

Even though she was skeptical at first, she didn't want to believe that Dakota was on the offense and had murdered wolves for not any logical reason at all. Violet put her faith and heart into him all the time that Marcel was gone hoping to feel the gap that she felt. It worked for a while but then the truth started to come out and she had an open wound again.

Slipping out of Marcel's embrace, she had latched onto him all night enjoying the comfort and warmth. There was something about him that always made her feel that way and it was one of those times that she needed. She had made up her mind for the moment and it was time to put that plan into action. Violet didn't even change out of her sweatpants and tank top because she needed to get out and fast.

Slowly opening the dresser drawer, she hoped that she could be quiet enough not to wake him. Grabbing a few different items out, Violet constantly looked over her shoulder to make sure that he was staying in place. She had already hidden her suitcase out in the living area so it was a straight line from there.

All Violet needed for a few days were space in order to figure out her mind. It was embarrassing to her that Dakota had been playing her the entire time even though Marcel was trying to convince her he was the whole time. She was hurt and angry but she really wanted to find her right thoughts. Violet was thinking of stupid things to do and that would only make matters worse.

Zipping the bag up, she put it over her shoulder and looked around the place. It was only going to be a while and she was convinced that Marcel would be able to handle the Thibidoux children. It wasn't a secret that Aaliyah had easily bonded with them and she had been considering them family now that she no longer had any. Jordan was more of a piece of work but they did grow on her.

Even though she was living a life that she had dreamed of, it was time to bail for some time. Taking a deep breath, she quietly made her way to the door but a voice had interrupted her.

"Where are you going so early? Why do you have a bag packed of clothes?" Marcel had been standing in the bedroom doorway rubbing his head. He had no idea what time it was but the sun was still rising so it was early enough.

Turning around one second at a time, she glanced towards the window. "I uh…I had some clothes to drop off somewhere" It was a lousy excuse but she didn't think she would get caught.

"You're leaving…What is going on?" It came to a realization that she was going so he stepped closer to her.

"Just for a couple of days, I swear I will come back here in like five days. I just need to get myself together before I go do something stupid and something I more than likely will regret"

Marcel had looked towards the kid's bedroom and paused at the thought. If she was going to leave he was going to have to take care of them by himself, he had other things to worry about. The werewolves could be on their trail as it is and he would need her around to help protect them.

"I can handle Dakota Vi, I can kick his ass twice without a second thought if you want me to. You can't just bail in the middle of this because he turned out to be the wrong guy"

Violet watched his gaze. "Look, I just need to clear my head and that's not a big deal. I will come back, it's not like I'm pulling a Rebekah and run off to New York" That caught his attention.

"So you're not going to go tell them you're disappearing. Violet, it's not just me anymore. Aaliyah had bonded to you and she is counting on you to be her rock right now. I'll go back out to the Bayou this afternoon and do a little tearing up of my own"

"Don't try using those kids against me Marcel, that isn't fair" She said guarded over it and fixed the bag on her shoulder.

"It's the truth. You do this every time there is trouble. You can't handle it and you decide it's best to run away. How do I know you'll come back? How do I know if this isn't one of your Georgia experiences?"

"If I could go home I would but you were the one that destroyed my house so that place is long gone. You could handle Davina, I'm sure you'll be okay with a six and eight year old"

Marcel honestly couldn't believe what he was hearing. It was different this time around considering they had two kids to protect. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, that was a common trait of hers. It wasn't random of her to leave when things got rough and he couldn't figure out why Dakota got under her skin so much.

"Violet please, you and I are always a team no matter what the situation is. You didn't run away when Lucien started killing everyone; you didn't run when I bit you. You have stayed through everything and now you are leaving because of some guy. We said we were going all in once we picked her up and that's exactly what we are doing" He could help but sound irritated because he didn't want her to leave.

Staying still, she had debated on what he said. Violet felt bad, she really did. She was fearful that maybe she would snap and with the kids being present that wasn't a good thing. "I'm sorry okay? I really am but I need to get out of here for a while. I will come home; I'm not running away, I wouldn't give him that benefit of not seeing me again because my face will be the last thing he sees"

Just as she was turning back to the door, Jordan had stepped out into the area rubbing his own eyes. "What's with the yelling?" The two didn't' realize they weren't quiet and woke them up. Aaliyah trailed behind him clutching her teddy bear, she seemed fully awake.

"Can I come with you?" She asked softly looking over to Violet.

Marcel had glanced between them before shaking his head heavily. If she wanted to leave he wouldn't stop her because she now had more on her shoulders than anything else. He wandered back into his own bedroom for a shirt because it looked like it was going to be a long morning.

"You can't come with me. I've got a few things and I will be back in a couple of hours" Violet knew she was lying but didn't want to tell her the truth.

"You're lying" Jordan spoke staring at her, for a child he had a fierce look and tone to him. "You're not coming back because of that guy. That's what you were arguing about" Aaliyah had frowned at his statement.

Shutting her eyes, it was now Violet's turn to shake her head. If Marcel would have stayed back she believed she wouldn't have been in the situation she was in. Besides there being a mess in the swamp, there was now a mess in the penthouse.

"Yes, I'm going to be gone a few days but that doesn't change anything" She said not wanting to even see them.

Aaliyah would obviously be more upset than Jordan because he hadn't warmed up to either of them yet. "But you promised you'd take care of me" Her voice was filling with sadness.

Sighing heavily, she gripped the door handle to one of the doors. "I promise you I will be back. I just have some things to take care of" And with that, Violet quickly disappeared out of the home and to her car.

Opening the purple car door, she realized that she left the suitcase and only had the bag around her shoulder. Throwing it into the passenger seat, she looked up towards the building knowing that she couldn't see them but they couldn't possibly see her. Violet always parked her car ways down so there was probably a perfect view.

Getting into the driver's seat, she tried started the car but for some reason it wouldn't start up. Pausing, there couldn't' have been anything wrong with it because she took care of it well. Violet didn't know anything about a car but that didn't stop her from trying to open the front to see if she could solve the problem.

Little did she know that it wasn't just a normal mishap, someone was on her trail just like they were on someone else's. Closing the hood, someone had been standing at the back with their eyes locked on her.

"Not in the mood…Go back to the swamp" Violet said without amusement. By the red hair she could tell it was Celestia but the woman didn't say a word. Next thing she knew, she was out like a light.

rted killing everyone, you didn'Rolling her head to the side, Violet had coughed faintly and her cheek hit the cold ground. Cracking her eyes open, she rolled onto her stomach and looked around at the scenery and she knew for a fact that none of it looked familiar to her. Her limbs ached and her veins were burning which meant only one thing.

"Get her up, she's not going to be able to stand by that's what those are there for" A male's voice rang through the air and Violet had been picked up by two complete strangers. She groaned once they grabbed her and she couldn't protest. Grabbing her wrists, the two other men reached for the chains above her. They had nodded when they were finished. "So we finally meet, how are you?"

Blinking a couple of times, it took her a few seconds to get her eye sight straight. "Last I remember going to my car and it not working…" Trying to yank her arms down, she glanced at the floor, her toes had barely touched it. "Oh come on, this is really starting to get old"

"What is?" He asked standing in front of her.

"This whole damsel in distress situation. Every time someone wants to get at either of us I end up being the one tortured" She pulled again to no budge. "I know you vervained me because I have that familiar feeling in my body…Tristan de Martel did a much better torture session than you by the way. Who are you?"

The man was confused by the name and she smirked a little to herself. "I'm Bradi Doucet. Surprised you don't know me considering I know Dakota well. You remember him, don't you?"

Violet turned her head to hold it on her upper right arm. She honestly wanted to close her eyes and go back to the little slumber she was in. Bradi had used enough vervain to keep her out for a while. He had put her up in an abandoned building that the Crescents kept track off so no one would find them there. It was a new thing for her to be hung by her wrists from the ceiling but she meant it about Tristan…Unless there was a lot more coming.

Grabbing a chair from behind him, Bradi sat down and crossed his legs before speaking. "Dakota had already talked to Marcel about this but apparently we didn't get anywhere, did we?" He paused for a second recalling the conversation in his mind. "How are the children? I'm sure they are perfectly fine with you two taking care of them"

That had got her attention. Violet's had opened her eyes as much as she could and glared towards him. It was his time to smirk at her. "What we want is simple. We want the two kids, you hand them over to us then we will not get in your way. I mean, I'm sure the vampires and wolves will still end up fighting at some point but you'll have less trouble on your hands"

"You're not getting the kids" She said her voice sounding somewhat scratchy.

"Why? Because you think they are yours?" Bradi thought it was actually amusing. He mocked a frown and shook his head slowly. "I hate to break it to you but they are not yours and never will be. They are two orphaned kids that you happened to find out in our swamp. Just because you have had them for the last few weeks doesn't change the fact that they belong to our pack"

"Maybe I can put it into simpler terms for you. You can hang me here and bleed me dry. You can vervain me; you can cut me open and tear my heart out. I've been dead, I've been locked away and I have desiccated. Do whatever you want to me because I'm not handing over Aaliyah and Jordan"

It was a complete turnaround from when she and Marcel had found her first. Violet wanted to send her off to Vincent and let her go on her own way. The longer she had stayed with them, the more they had some sort of bond. It was almost as if it was meant to be, Aaliyah and Jordan to be found by them and have some sort of family matter.

He had listened to her but still remained the same. Braid hadn't showed he was intimidated, scared or even phased by her. He had a variety of tricks up his sleeve and wasn't going to stop until he got what he wanted. It would only be a matter of time before Marcel came to rescue her so he wanted to get it done as quickly as possible.

"I could bring Dakota in to ask the questions if you desire I mean you two have really hit it off, haven't you? I'd say you both make a pretty good team. I haven't watched a wolf and vampire get along so famously all my life" He stopped thinking something over it his head. "It would be tragic if your little romance ended so soon, wouldn't it?"

Scoffing a little, Violet lifted her head fully to look up above her. "Talk, talk, talk. I don't know what you think you are going to get out of me. You can quiz me about my life, my relationships and whatever else you want. Think of me as a best friend. We can gossip and chat all you want"

"You can be sarcastic all you want but you know that their lives are hanging in limbo. We just want the those two adorable children. Why are you protecting them? You hate werewolves from what I have heard so what makes you an expert on raising them?"

As Marcel had stated, they were the two people who the Thibidoux's only had left. According to Aaliyah, she didn't know of any other family and Jordan had watched the immediate side get murdered. They couldn't take care of themselves well enough at that age so they needed someone to stand for them and fortunately for Aaliyah and Jordan they found two of the right people.

"You want the kids and I want to be let go. We're not going to make any sort of progress so keeping talking Bradi because I'm not going to budge"

Sighing heavily, he made a not so surprise looking. Reaching into this pocket, Violet knew there was more vervain that was going to be injected into her system. All she had to do was convince herself that it would be over soon.

Marcel had been taking care of the two all day since Violet's disappearance. He had sent her a couple of texts realizing that this was harder than he anticipated. Jordan was still on the fence at him and wasn't warming up at all for that matter. Aaliyah being curious and bright all the time had held onto her teddy bear and constantly asked when she was coming back.

He had gone into their bedroom to look for somethings for them to do. He didn't know what to bribe them with nothing was working on his part. Searching through one of them bags, he grabbed a few different toys and stood up as something shiny and purple caught his eye. Marcel had done a double take and realized it was her car.

One thing he learned from the last few years was that the Ferrari was a huge deal to Violet. He knew for a fact that she wouldn't leave the car sitting there out in the open and if so Josh wouldn't have taken it. If she asked him to watch over it for the last three years then there was no way she would have abandoned it.

Slipping his phone from his back pocket, he quickly dialed her number not expecting her to answer but he had a sliver of hope that she would. Stepping back out into the living area, he placed the toys and books on the coffee table before hanging up.

"Is she on her way back yet?" Aaliyah asked seeing him on the phone.

Marcel had shook his head and then decided to try Josh. He would have to have some sort of answer. "Hey it's me, have you heard anything from Violet? She was talking about leaving for a few days and I thought she did but her car is sitting in its usual spot. Please tell me you've heard something"

Taking a seat in one of the chairs, Aaliyah had watched him silently. He rubbed his eyes slowly and gripped the bridge of his nose. "Why do I have this feeling that Dakota and those wolves have something to do with this…No he is the wolf she's been dating. Josh I know its scandalous but can you just get over here so we can figure this out?"

"Is Violet missing?" She asked another question once he hung up. He was surprised she didn't get excited about Josh stopping by.

"I don't know the answer to that but I am hoping the answer will be no"

Jordan had been sitting in the same spot he was that morning and he turned his head over to where they were. He had debated on getting up and saying what he knew. Even though Marcel and Violet had been helping the two of them he still didn't know if he liked or even trusted them. Picking himself up and out of the chair, he quietly walked over. "Marcel…" He stood to the far side of them.

"What is it Jordan?" He asked typing something on his phone.

"The wolves took her…" Dragging his eyes away from the phone, Marcel completely stopped what he was doing.

"What do you mean the wolves took her?"

Aaliyah turned all the way around on the couch to look at her brother with curiosity of course showing on her face. "I watched her from the window when she walked out of here. She was toying with the car and these guys had come out of nowhere. They did something and threw her into another car"

Tossing his phone onto the coffee table, Marcel slowly rose to his feet. "It has been five hours and you are now deciding to tell me this?" His voice was rising but he was trying his best to remain calm, after all he was just a child.

Jordan had stared at him with a slight pain of panic showing on his face. "I'm sorry…I should have told you but I didn't want them to come here"

"And for all I know she could be dead right now or God knows what else. Next time something like that happens I need you to tell me. Whether you believe it or not we are trying to keep you safe from them and now I have no idea where to start looking for Violet"

"What about the Bayou?" Aaliyah suggested looking between the two of them. At least someone had their head in the right spot.


	17. Three Vamps, Two Wolves, One Team

**~~Can I ask one special favor? Anyone who reads please leave a review. I haven't got any in soooo long and I would be forever grateful. I will get to season five in after these next three chapters by the way. Trust me, it will be good~~Reanna.**

Violet was ready to get out of the predicament she was in and fast. She really regretted wanting to leave in the first place and especially leaving Marcel with Aaliyah and Jordan. Bradi had kept popping up asking questions but was really hesitating on pushing her too far. He hadn't actually tortured her too much but it was the constant supply of vervain.

They had kept her stocked up on it and the room was drenched with it. She had been breathing it in this entire time and it obviously wasn't helping her situation. Her grey tank top had patches of blood stains all over it as the wolves wanted to be light on torture. It was in fact miserable but Violet had faced far worse situation. A fence piercing her heart, a fire burning her, a car flipping over a bridge and ripper conditioning had definitely taken the cake.

The goal Bradi was trying to make was by cutting her then letting her bleed out, the vervain would slowly slip away and they could constantly put more into her body. The wounds weren't healing due to the purple herb so she couldn't consider it good enough torture.

"Let me go…" Violet called out, voice scratchy, her head resting on her other shoulder. She knew it was no use in calling out anything but is was bored from the silence.

It seemed like Bradi had never left the room because he had stayed with her throughout the whole day. Unbeknownst to her, it was about to be nighttime but he knew exactly what time of day it was. He was surprised that Marcel hadn't showed up but he knew that he wouldn't give up so easily.

"You can really stop the begging. I already told you the game we are going to play. Unless you hand those kids over, I'm not going to do any favors. If you really want to though I can try and ease your pain"

Cracking her eyes open, she was tired and weak. "And as I told you. If you truly want to torture a vampire I suggest using something more interesting. This is just flat out boring and exhausting"

He laughed towards her. "I'm really not one to torture someone just for answers. I'm sure everyone else in the city does that but not me. I prefer to take my time or just flat out kill just like I did the North East Atlantic. It's a shame though, if they wouldn't have started running their mouth the kids would have been fine for now"

He stood up from his chair and looked her over for a second. Bradi stepped forward and grabbed the back of her head. Twisting her blonde locks into his hand, he yanked her head up hard. Violet winced and made a faint noise of pain.

"Why don't we just bring your boyfriend in and you can surrender to him. I mean, he has a slight bone to pick with you so I think you two need to have a moment. Besides, if I really wanted to torture you the way I want, I think everyone here would be mad including my wife" Looking her over from head to toe, he let go harshly and moved back to his chair.

She had slowly let out a laugh and laid her head back to stare at the ceiling. "If my bones would shake I'm sure they would. It will be your death in the end because I'll be out soon enough, everyone you know including you will be dead and those kids will still be safe and sound"

Josh had been trying to pull some strings with the other vampires in the city hoping that they would help finding Violet. Most of them said no because they had no idea who she was and wanted nothing to do with the mess. Marcel had to give one of his fancy speeches in order to group some together…Or he simply had threatened them.

Marcel had even gone to lengths of finding a witch to do a locator spell consider that Vincent was a good ally and friend. It had only pinned across the river and not in the Bayou. For some reason it was just showing a bunch of building near the loft but there was so many that it wasn't going to be as easy as he thought.

"Okay so why don't we just go swarm the places and hope we end up in the right building?" Josh asked.

"Trust me that is the first thing I want to do. Problem is I don't know what they are doing and I don't want to storm in there. If she is hurt they could easily make matters worse once they realize we are there" Marcel said answering him. He had been staring at a map of New Orleans.

Josh had to agree because who knows what had been going on. Besides that, the place could be littered with wolves and Josh wouldn't be able to stand a chance. They had taken Klaus's blood from out of her car, well Marcel was sure of that.

"Look, you stay here with Aaliyah and Jordan and I will go get Violet back" Pulling away from the city outline, he rolled up his sleeves.

"What? You can't do that, they'll be waiting for you" Jordan back in his same spot said. He seemed to be stopping everyone in their tracks that day. "These are people who hunted down my family and they will do the same to you"

Marcel turned to look at the boy. He had a point so he glanced out the window he was sitting at. "You know for an eight year old you seem to know a lot about wolf and vampires business" He meant it as a general statement and nothing else. Maybe they were being groomed as the next pack leaders.

Josh had peered over at his shoulder at Jordan. This was their first time meeting each other and he wasn't aware that Aaliyah even had a brother. He could even tell that he was standoffish due to the fact that he was distancing him from the vampires. She on the other hand was drawing in the corner of the map trying to be helpful.

"He is right Marcel. You can't just go in there and expect them to hand her over"

"I'm stronger than anyone in there so I'm pretty sure I can handle all of them" He was now going back to Josh's original idea of just going in without a plan.

Jordan had been sitting there again wanting to say something and once more hesitated. It landed him in hot water before and it would more than likely do so again. Placing his head in his hands, Marcel caught his movement. "What is it now?"

"You said that she wasn't in the swamp right? Our parents were always about these buildings that they one day were going to turn into something. Aaliyah and I have been there before…Maybe she is there? They never got the place because there were people blocking it"

Marcel had sat there and tried thinking of what he was talking about. He wondered if it was when he was alive because he felt that he would know exactly what he meant. Looking towards Josh, his eyes seemed to concentrate on the floor thinking as well.

"The only thing I can think of is there are a bunch of places near the loft in Algiers. I don't know what exact building but there has to be at least fifteen of them" Josh said walking over to show it on the map.

The vampires had been looking at it to narrow down what they possibly believed what one it could be. Aaliyah had pulled her markers away from it but kept a bright yellow one in her hand, her favorite color. Drawing a line from where they were, she made a large line through it. Marcel went to stop her but concentrated on what she was doing.

Dakota had been brought in by Bradi to try and get Violet to talk. The wolf wasn't going to stop just because she wouldn't give answers. He wanted to press her and hoped that maybe by having him speak it would do the trick. He stepped out momentarily so they could have their own space.

Violet had been watching him ever since he stepped foot in the so called dungeon she was in. It was now her turn to keep her guard up since she lowered it so many times around him before.

He had stepped towards her but stopped was he was close enough. "It probably hurts; your arms must be tired. Do you want down?" His eyes looked up towards the chains. Grabbing them, he loosened it a little much to Violet's relief. It was only five seconds later than he retightened them from before which made her cry out in pain.

"Can't have you getting away. Not that you could with the vervain but just for precaution"

Her fangs had begun to show along with the veins under her eyes. "I'm glad you find fun in my pain. Here I thought you had a thing for me" Violet couldn't help getting angry. Blood had ran from her wrists due to the straps being so tight.

Dakota had smirked and shook his head faintly. "I did pretty good, didn't I? The thing is I would have had a thing for you; there is nothing wrong with you V. You're funny, pretty and one of the most interesting people here in New Orleans"

Lifting her eyes, she slowly began to calm down enough to look at him. "Let me guess, you hate vampires because of old times right? All you werewolves are the same, can't let anything go"

"Well maybe if you didn't try killing my Father we could have been something. Instead your boyfriend had plotted his death and tried dragging him into it again years ago"

It was her time to smile a bit. "You weren't even thought of, you didn't even exist when I dated him so you really should get new ammo and a new motive because it is what it is' Dakota had crossed his arms looking at her, it must have hit a nerve. "Yeah I did a little digging myself last night. You were born in Texas and didn't even meet him until you turned eighteen. You don't even have a relationship with him considering his doesn't even live here anymore so get off of your high horse"

Slipping a knife from his back pocket, he moved in quickly and sliced the blade along the side of her neck. Even though Violet had been use to the cuts and stabs by now, it still hurt like hell. The vervain was the biggest downfall of her situation.

"You just think you know me so well. Maybe if you would have figured all of this out before, you wouldn't' have a problem with me" Dakota watched the blood pour out even though he didn't cut that deep. He couldn't bring himself to make a deep wound and he didn't know why. "You two really think you've got your future planned out don't you? Live in that fancy penthouse with two kids who are not yours by the way"

She rolled her eyes and tried rubbing her neck on her shoulder. "God, will all of you stop saying that? Clearly, they are not mine and they are not yours so don't even try to make me say I'll hand them over. If I say that, does that let me go? Because if that is the case go ahead and have them but that doesn't mean I'm lying"

Dakota had kept his eyes on her without saying a word. Apparently Bradi thought she would be an easy target but that was proving to not be the case. Even he was doubting everything because Violet was just going to waste and buy time.

"Did I strike a nerve? See, I do that to a lot of people because my mouth gets me into trouble" She added. Violet lifted her head to keep it as straight as she could. "Go ahead though, I'm not the one who will be dead soon because once Marcel finds where I am..."

It only took him a second later to launch forward and twist her neck until it snapped. Staring at the blood on his right hand, he did the same as Bradi and looked her over from head to toe. "We'll get what we what..."

"You guys are okay back there, right?" Josh asked pulling into the part of the city where all the abandon buildings were.

Marcel had turned in his seat to look at the siblings; they both had nodded in agreement. They had wanted to help and he was protesting that there was no chance that they could follow him. The Thibidoux children weren't going to take no for an answer so there they all were stuffed inside of Josh's car.

Aaliyah had actually circled a warehouse on the map much to his delight and confusion. Jordan had believed he'd be able to identify what one as long as he was present. Marcel didn't have much of a choice but to bring them and Josh said that he would keep an eye on them once they saved her. It was quiet until Jordan unbuckled himself and leaned forward.

"That one...The tall grey one I think" He said with a faint hint of disbelief, he hoped he was pointing to the right one. Josh had drove past it for Marcel to look then circled around to park the car someplace else.

"Where is Violet going to sit?" Aaliyah chimed in of course with a question.

Marcel was focused on the building then thought about the question. He didn't realize that she would have to sit in the back with them and if she was in a bad condition, he didn't want them to see her that way. "We'll have to figure that out when I get her"

Unhooking himself, Josh stopped the car then looked at the elder vampire. "Are you sure you don't want me to see if any of the guys want to help?"

"I can help" Jordan said from the back but Marcel had begun answering Josh.

"I'll be able to do this myself. All I have to do is gone in there, take out a few people and I'm sure I'll find her in no time"

Jordan had sat back from before but he leaned up again. "Let me help, I can help you"

Both vampires turned a little to look at him. "Josh I trust you to keep an eye on these two, especially Jordan"

"How do you know you are going to be okay?" She asked yet again another questions.

Marcel thought it over. "I can keep you safe along with Violet. They are afraid of us, we can keep you safe on that fact"

He wanted to protest him but Marcel was already stepping out of the car. Jordan didn't know what came over him but he did want to help any way he could. He could tell that he and Violet were trying to protect them, Aaliyah enjoyed their company. He did feel bad that he didn't say anything earlier but there wasn't much he could do now.

Slipping inside of the building, Marcel was doing his best to stay quiet and keep his ears open. He wasn't sure on how he was going to find her but he knew that they wouldn't have left her without any injuries. His best bet was to see if he could pick up on any blood or screams that would lead him in the right direction.

It was completely silent except for his shoes clicking on the cold, wet ground. The place was filled with puddles due to the night before. He had started with the top floors first but was coming up empty. Continuing on his way, Marcel was hoping that Jordan and Aaliyah chose the right place because it was starting to look like a dead end. It wasn't until a familiar scent of vervain came around so he zipped off in that direction.

Taking him to the very last floor that was a basement, he had no idea that this building even had one. He stopped down the long, dark hallway to figure out where to go. It wasn't making any sense to Marcel that no one was there because he knew he was in the right place due to the vervain.

Walking at a normal place but keeping his eyes fixed on everything, he followed the scent to where it came from. When he walked inside of the room, he saw Violet in the same spot she had been from before. Noticing a person on the floor, he listened for a heartbeat but there wasn't any.

Rushing to her, she seemed out of it so he placed his hand on her cheek to turn her head. He saw all the blood and the smell of vervain was very overwhelming.

"Thank God...You know Fred saved Daphne much faster before she bled to death" Prying her eyes open, she could only get them to slits but she was still in the mood for a joke.

Marcel had sighed in relief looking her over again. "What did they do?" He asked reaching for the chains up above her arms.

"Careful, they are soaked in vervain" She commented lifting her head to watch him. "Well, they drugged me and let me bleed it out on repeat. My friend over there attempted to do so again but I got enough strength to twist his neck. That's called skill you know, you try swinging your legs that high"

Unhooking her arms, Violet had crumbled down but Marcel caught her before she completely hit the ground. She told him that he was going to have to carry her and he was now trying to figure out what to do with her. He didn't want to shove her in the backseat of the car considering that she was still bleeding, was covered in it and didn't look an ounce good. A voice broke him from his thoughts once he scooped her up in his arms.

"Jordan? What are you doing in here?" He now marched over to the boy who was at the bottom of the stairs.

"Aaliyah wanted me to make sure you were okay. Don't worry, she's distracting Josh…You better hurry because I think they are on their way back. I saw some people once I got inside"

The last thing Marcel wanted was to have to watch over one of them which holding onto her. He told him to stay in front and starting running while he was right behind him. He couldn't pick him up due to the fact that he was cradling Violet as if she was a baby.

Once they reached outside, Josh's panicked face turned normal once he saw them come out.

"I thought I told you to keep an eye on them" Marcel spoke moving them all as quick as he could to the car.

"Oh trust me I did but these two are serious trouble makers. Aaliyah got out of the car first, and then he disappeared a second later. Are you guys okay?"

Aaliyah had poked her head out from the back seeing them. Her face froze when she saw Violet so she quickly hoped out. "She's going to be alright, right?"

"Let's all just get in the car and get out of here before any of those guys show up?" Josh said looking between them.

Piling everyone back into the car, Marcel sat between the two children so Violet could have the whole passenger seat. She hadn't said anything but glanced back at Jordan. "Thanks Kids"


	18. In the scent of Blood and Cologne

**~~Just a heads up, there are two chapters left until I start writing about season five. Chapter 18 with wrap things and onto the show which is going to be fun…And messy~~Reanna.**

Marcel had carried Violet into the penthouse way ahead of Aaliyah and Jordan. He knew that they had already seen her and what she looked like but he wanted to hide her a little bit better.

Josh took his time escorting the children inside of the penthouse and it seemed like the Crescent City was soundless. There wasn't any wolf after them, Dakota nor Bradi had come around and they seemed like they were good to go.

Setting her on the bed, Violet tried her best to get off of it reminding her of the desiccation she had just gone through. She groaned trying to move but just laid there on the black bed sheet staring at the door. She realized two pairs of eyes were watching and of course it was the kids. Marcel was out in the kitchen area grabbing as many blood bags as he could.

"Is she gonna be okay?" Jordan asked to someone who Violet couldn't see due to one of the doors still being closed. At least he warmed up to the clothes she grabbed because he had finally changed.

Aaliyah had mouthed something to do but the vampire couldn't make it out. Her eyes were drowsy because of the vervain that was still in her system. The little girl had begun walking towards the bedroom but Marcel quickly rushed forward to block her.

"Okay, I will come out in twenty minutes and give you good news. For now I want you both to stay out there and out of this room until Violet feels better, sound like a deal?" He had looked between them both.

"Do you promise?"

He had nodded and a faint smile yet a concerned one appeared on his face. "Yes. You guys can watch TV, play with your toys or use your imagination. Josh will be out there with you guys but if you need anything don't hesitate to ask"

After a moment they had agreed and went back into the living area. Sighing with a fain sound of relief, Marcel stepped inside of the bedroom and went to close the other door.

"Please leave it open, I want to see them"

Hesitating to do what she said, he did so anyway before tearing open one of the blood bags. "I still think the idea of you warming up to those kids is a strange thing to see you do" Stepping closer, Violet pushed herself to sit up. "You need to drink a lot of blood to get that vervain out…Unless you want to do this the hard way like you were going through"

The only other option was for her to continue to bleed out so that the purple plant would leave her system. Towards the end she would seem a little desiccated and then Marcel could just supply her with blood. In the back of his mind he was afraid of the situation because of Ripper way. He just didn't want her to get out of hand again.

"I have spilt so much blood over the last how many days or hours that I don't think I could lose anymore. I want these wounds to heal more so than anything" He would agree with whatever decision she wanted to do. He helped her drink the first one before moving onto the next one. "The one on my neck hurts like hell…Dakota got me good there"

Marcel had turned from where he was standing to completely face her. "He had a hand in all of this?" There was anger rising in his voice.

Violet was taking in a lot of blood so he had to wait for an answer. "I take back the idea that I thought he as exactly like Jake because he's nothing like him" She had begun taking a mother mouthful before speaking. "Some guy named Brandon or Bradi was the guy behind it but he brought Dakota in I guess to get me to talk" She lifted her head to glance at him. "They want them" She nodded out into the living area.

They both had watched them surround Josh with questions or games to play for all they knew. "Well now I know who I have to kill…" Marcel had already started thinking of an idea that he wanted to do by himself. "I had Josh gather as many bags as he could so you're going to be well prepared here. Keep these two from asking questions and I'll be back"

She hadn't said anything as she was preoccupied at the moment. He had thought over something again in his mind and started moving towards the bedroom door. That brought Violet to quit drinking and look at him. "Wait, what? Where are you going? What are you doing?"

"What do you think I'm doing? They had kidnapped you and tortured you Vi, they want to take these kids that we have been raising and they are not going to stop until they get them. On top of it, they are the ones that took Klaus's blood out of your car. Dakota is first on my list"

Tossing the empty bag to the floor, she got enough energy to stand up but not enough to rush over to him. "Marcel…" He knew what she was going to say but he turned back around.

"Don't try to defend him because it isn't going to work with me. I told you already that if he would lay a finger on you that I would kick his ass and now he just gave me the opportunity to do that"

"Just leave him out of this for now…Once I get better you and I can solve this problem together but right now we just need to let it go for a few days" Violet bent down to grab the other bag and began drinking it quickly.

Marcel was stuck in a tough spot because he had two different options going. The first one was to go after these wolves and do whatever it took to find Dakota and the blood that was missing. He didn't like that Violet didn't have it just in case something was to happen and she got wolf venom in her system. Second, He could wait for her to get better in order to take her with him. That rose an issue however because he knew that she wouldn't want to go after her current beau.

Making up his mind, he wanted to go with the first thing that he felt would be the best way to go. "Why are you staring at me like that?" She asked with a confused expression.

He stepped forward and did something that didn't expect. Grabbing her right hand, the bag had fallen to the floor and he slipped her daylight ring off of her finger. Outraged, Violet wanted to vamp out but didn't have the strength too. Plopping back onto the bed, she grabbed the bag before it decided to leak out all over the floor.

"I hate you…" They both knew it was just because she was angry and nothing else.

Marcel had smirked looking at her. "Let's just say I don't want you following me once you get better because I don't think you're going to like what I'm about to do. Stay here with everyone and, get better and I will give you the ring back once I return"

Once he left eh penthouse, Marcel had snuck back into the bayou. He wanted to go back to that abandon building but no one was there when he showed up before. Even the swamp had seemed a little deserted but that was good for him because he was about to raise hell.

Picking the clothes off of the line, he threw them around and glanced around keeping his eyes and ears open. He didn't want to end up in the same spot before or turn into whatever Violet had gone through. Marcel also wished that he knew what home Dakota lived in because he wanted to pay him a visit specifically.

Even though she had enough anger at Bradi, more of it was targeted at Dakota. Violet had been head over heels for him and it pained Marcel to see her hurt. He knew that she was hiding it but there was something different in her eyes, the sparkle she had disappeared. Marcel didn't care if she would hate him for it; he wanted to prove his point either way. At the same time he knew that she would get over eventually.

Walking around, he called out a few things because the place was eerily quiet again. Hearing footsteps come from far ahead of him, Marcel zipped off in that direction and for his luck, Dakota had been walking around checking out the place he had messed up a few minutes ago.

Dakota had snapped his head up seeing someone there but didn't realize it was Marcel at first. Smirking in his direction, the wolf couldn't do anything as the vampires attacked first.

The loft that Josh lived at had enough empty rooms and floors that Marcel was dragging him there. There was no way he would take him to the penthouse and the compound was still locked up according to Freya. Besides that, the loft was closer to them and he had the place set up before he headed out into the Bayou.

Dragging Dakota into one of the back rooms on the floor that Josh lived on, he threw Dakota into a chair that he had set in the middle of the room. He had been covered in bruises and cuts, blood caking all of him as he gave Marcel quite a hard time. Of course Marcel was stronger as he was a beast but the wolf wasn't going to go down without a fight.

"Stay there and don't move" He told him keeping his eye on him while he went grabbing a thing of rope. Dakota wasn't going to listen and didn't hesitate jumping up from the chair. Marcel should have known better than to think that he would have listened. "I said sit down!" Moving back over quickly, he pushed him back and the chair plus Dakota almost fell completely backwards.

Untying the rope, he held him down with one hand and bent down trying to tie his feet together. Once he was finished, Dakota knew that there was no way he couldn't get out because he was completely stuck to the chair.

"Funny how this works, you just tortured Violet now I get to do the same to you" Marcel spoke with a faint smirk looking at him.

The wolf had glanced at him and shook his head with disgust. "They'll come looking for me once they realize I'm missing"

"Not if I wrap you up in a nice little package and place your heart on top" He spoke looking out the window for a moment. "Now I want some answers and revenge but it looks like we've got talking to do first. Where's the blood that was in her car?"

Dakota hadn't said anything but shifted his eyes at the question. Marcel knew that they were the ones responsible considering they were in their territory weeks ago. Neither of them wanted to try and track down Klaus and ask for more, frankly they didn't even know how to get a hold of him as he wouldn't answer his phone.

"Maybe this will make you talk…" Reaching into his jacket pocket, he pulled out a familiar wolfs bane flower and held it in front of Dakota's face. "Answer the question" As he waited, he knew that it wasn't going to be easy. He'd have to pull teeth in order to get what he wanted.

Marcel had put the flower towards his temple and slowly drug it down his face watching it burn on his skin. He didn't even feel a bit sorry for the kid. "This is only going to get worse if you don't tell me"

Dakota had been biting back a scream but had his eyes clamped shut. Slipping a knife from his back pocket, Marcel quickly slammed into the palm of his hand causing the wolf more pain and cry out in agony.

"Okay! We took the blood and it's in Bradi's house!"

"Torture really makes a person talk, doesn't it?" Pulling the knife out, blood pooled and fell slowly to the ground. "What I really want to know was why you tortured Violet instead of trying to ambush us. Did you really think that she would just do what you all tell her?"

"She loves me and love makes you do crazy things" He answered staring at his hand. "You were nowhere to be found for sixth months and I was the ne wiping her tears that she cried for you. I knew everything and I still do. I know where the Mikaelson's are, I knew you were dead and I know that you can't raise those kids"

Glaring at him, Marcel scoffed out a laugh. He was in the predicament to tell him off but that was usually what happened to people when they were tied up. They start talking in order to get out of their binds even though it never ends well. Placing his hands on his hips, he let the kid continue to talk.

* * *

Back at the penthouse, Violet made Josh put up every blanket and sheet possible to block out the sun. Jordan had complained the whole time wanting to look out the windows because he enjoyed the view. Of course they were short of some so at least three windows in the main room filled it with sun.

"Why did he take your ring again?" Josh asked.

"To be an ass, why else?" She commented back sitting next to the open window wanting to feel the warmth on her skin. Aaliyah had told her that she said a bad word but she wasn't in the mood to hear it. "Because I know exactly what he is doing. He is probably killing Dakota as we speak and doesn't want me to stop him"

She had gotten better while being trapped inside of her favorite home. Violet probably would have gone after him so it looked like Marcel did win in the end. "You still don't love him…Do you?"

Josh was referring to Dakota because he couldn't wrap his head around that. She ran a hand through her wet hair as she needed to wash the blood off. "It's complicated…I just spent six months with a guy thinking that he loved me and instead he just was a tracker. On top of it he slit my throat open and drugged me"

He could understand what she meant because it wasn't like she could just forget about everything. She hardly wore her heart on her sleeve but there were times that she felt hard for another.

Aaliyah who had been playing with one of her dolls and leaned over and put her arms around Violet, she was good and telling when someone was sad. Josh had watched them and smiled. "It looks like you get what you wanted in the end, right?"

It was still weird to her how much she bonded with these kids and how much they bonded to her. It was a rocky road for sure and there was no way that Violet could regret it.

Jordan had watched them before stepping over. "Can I see what happens if you go into the sun?"

Violet had pulled back from her and paused looking at her. "Are you trying to kill me?"

Shaking his head quickly, he looked at her. "No?...I've just never saw a vampire until you two and I just wonder what it looks like"

Aaliyah had smiled and looked at her as well. "Can I see your fangs?" She asked rather quickly knowing that she would budge compared to Marcel.

Josh leaned back in his seat to watch all of this unfold. It was going to humorous to watch her get her way around it. Violet debated on it but noticed how eager they both looked. Before she could answer, Jordan walked into the kitchen and came back out with a blood bag in his hand. That made Josh jump up to take it from him. She was still hungry and couldn't help but let her veins fall from under her eyes.

Jordan stopped dead in his tracks when he saw her face and his eyes went wide. His sister of course who was curious stared but back away a little. Josh had no choice but to hand her the bag and she drinks it. "Don't do that again…" She warned but not in a threatening way.

Wiping her mouth, she looked between them seeing how frightened they were. She nodded for Jordan to come over and after hesitating he does. Leaning forward, Violet slowly inched her hand towards the open window.

Placing her fingers towards the window, she let the sun sizzle on them, her skin burning right off. When the penthouse door opened, she yanked her hand back in surprise and pain. All four faces turned to Marcel who stood there watching her.

"Did you just put your hand in the sun?" He asked.

Standing up, Violet wanted to walk over to him but then realized there is no way she could get over to him. He instead walked over to her and dug in his pants pocket to give her the ring back.

Handing it to her, she grabbed it then stopped when she looked at him fully. "Is that blood?" She asked looking at his long sleeve shirt.

Glancing down, Marcel smirked a little then looked towards. "No?..."

"You don't answer a question like that with another question…Just tell me this. Is he dead?"

"I need you to come with me to the loft. Josh watch these kids for at least an hour, Violet needs to come with me for a little while"


	19. On the Top of the World

**~~Thank you for the review! As for your question, it was Marcel who stabbed Dakota, not the other way around. As for Violet's feelings and the way Dakota acts shall be explained in this chapter a bit better~~Reanna.**

"You know I sure have not missed this car…" Violet spoke stepping outside of the penthouse and down to Marcel's white and black sports car.

"I think you like to complain to hear yourself talk sometimes" He joked stepping over to the driver's door. "By the way, what were you doing in there?" Marcel was referring to her pressing her hand into the sun.

Grabbing the passenger door, she forgot how they worked so she jumped out of the way quickly. Marcel had already gotten in and was watching her from the inside. Giving a sheepish smile, she got it and leaned up to grab the door, she always felt too short in that car.

"Jordan wanted to see what happens when we go into the sun and I was feeling bored" She spoke looking back towards the building.

"So you torture yourself?" Starting the engine, they could have probably walked there but he didn't want her to.

Giving him a look she spoke, "I have been tortured more times that I can count and things are ten times worse than sticking my hand into the sun. Speaking of, I hope you are torturing him better than they did me. Vervain burns like hell but I mean come on, that was the best they could do?"

When Marcel looked over at her, she was staring at and playing with her daylight ring. "Alright I want an honest answer. You really want to go through with this?"

It took her a moment but she nodded silently. Violet was making a decision and she knew what Marcel was asking. That was one thing they respected of each other was that they could make the same decision together without any trouble. Most of the time they were on a separate page but changed her mind when she thought it over more. Plus Josh had helped her see a little bit more of the problem.

"Did you really love the guy?" Marcel had to ask out of curiosity and he also needed to know.

"Do you really want to know why I fell for him? Pretty much the same reason I fell for Klaus"

"Please tell me you are not going to say because they are werewolves…" He glanced at her while turning the corner and made his way towards Josh's loft.

Sticking her tongue out at him she shook her head heavily. "You're hilarious Marcel…" Taking a deep breath she glanced out the window. "I was trying to fill the hole in my heart because of you. I missed you and there wasn't anything I could do because nothing was working. So I took the guy with me because I had company. I only had Josh and Vincent to count on; I didn't have anyone the way that I have you"

He hadn't said anything and instead concentrated on his driving. Marcel never really knew the full story of everything so he was trying to figure it all out as it went on. Sometimes Violet was good at that because there have been times that she buries everything deep down inside and he never understood why she did that. She could talk to him about anything and he wouldn't judge her.

"If anything helps I never liked the guy" He commented quickly before she started talking again.

"Six months isn't a long time to completely fall in love with someone, I know that but it was nice having someone to talk to and care about…I trusted him and he took that trust and betrayed me. I thought Dakota was a really good guy. He was funny and caring and charming. I didn't have to be alone"

He had hesitated saying what he thought so he didn't say anything at the moment. He waited until they pulled outside of the loft. Turning the car off, neither one of them moved so he decided to say what he thought originally. "You know, it sounds like you just didn't want to be alone and you thought this guy was the answer to your problem"

Shrugging her shoulders, Violet had thought about it that way as well. "You are always the first person for everything and it was different without you. Any other time you are alive and I'm just in another state but you were dead…" She stopped talking becoming embarrassed because to her it sounded childish, it sounded pathetic.

Marcel had reached out and took her hand in his. "You know that I want what is best for you and if this isn't what you want I will leave it alone"

Looking down at their hands, Violet smirked a little before getting out of the car. It was going to be hard for her but she was moving on in her life. And that meant destroying old new to make a new path. She was preoccupied with many other responsibilities that this little wolf problem needed to go away.

He had done the same knowing that she made up her mind and there was no asking her twice. Marcel had gone in front of her and began walking but she hung out at the car. "Can I ask you a question?"

Marcel had stopped and turned around; he thought she was right behind him. He had waited for her to ask whatever it was.

"Do you still love me?" Violet was scared on the answer because it was a serious question. She wasn't sure exactly what his answer was going to but it wasn't harmful to ask anyway.

Blinking, he was caught off guard by it. "You know I'll always love you. Whether we are together or not"

Nodding, she leaned off of the car and began walking towards him. It was a clear answer for her and it was a satisfactory one at that.

They made their way into the loft and Violet had commented that she like the place much better than the penthouse. He rolled his eyes at her comment feeling like this was going to nag at him. He led her through the open living area and one of the back rooms that Josh had kept empty.

"You're still positive you want to do this?" Marcel asked her again. He just didn't want her to back out at the last minute.

"Positive as I'll ever be. Let's just get this all over and done with. We have two kids back at home that we need to take care of"

Agreeing, the vampires had stepped through the open doorway and there sat Dakota still in the middle of the room. Marcel had done a good number on him and it almost took Violet for a surprise. She was right about the torture part but didn't know he would go to that length.

Dakota lifted his head hearing them and smiled when he saw both of them there. "What a pair you both are dressed in matching outfits"

They had both sported jeans, t-shirts and leather jackets, a vampire's signature look. Neither one of them said anything but gave each other a familiar look. The only noise was their boots clicking on the wooden floor. Violet licked her lips figuring she should say something but wasn't sure where to start.

"You almost look like I did except you look much worse, it sucks doesn't it? It's fun seeing you in this position though" Dakota was covered in blood and Marcel had done a good job on him. He had little cuts here and there but his face was pretty badly bruised, there was anger in each and every hit.

He smirked at her and continued to stare. Marcel shifted his eyes between them and they both stopped walking once they got close enough. "What makes you so cocky when you know that I am the strongest thing out there?"

Shaking his head, Dakota leaned his head back to rest on the chair and stare at the ceiling. "You think I'm afraid of you when I have the same venom coursing through my veins? You died and lost everything, you can't live up to the name you once had, neither one of you can. Torture me and hang me but my kind won't stop until we get what we want"

"Not if we kill them all first" Violet spoke crossing her arms over her chest. They were going to do whatever it took the save the city from the wolves, protect themselves and make sure that Aaliyah and Jordan would be okay.

"I tell you that it's not looking good for you right now. We want answers, you wants the kids and here we at a crossroad. I can tell that you have no idea how this goes but it's only a matter of time before I let Violet do what she wants to do. With that being said, I wouldn't keep that smug look on your face"

The wolf had laughed a little and tilted his head to his right. What Dakota found funny is how he thought that he was just going to back down because she was present. It really didn't matter what they wanted because just like Violet he wasn't going to budge and inch.

"Also if you really think you have the upper hand you can keep laughing but just know that some vampires are after the blood that was stolen and are in the house as we speak. I can show you on my phone if you really want to see it"

Violet was pulling out her phone from her back pocket and scrolled through a few options keeping a gaze on him. Dakota lifted his head slowly and took a sigh.

Marcel was waiting for him to say something and he wasn't going to stand there all day to wait. They had other things to take care of and this was just one of the problems that needed to be faced. He looked towards Violet who was still looking through her phone waiting for her to do something.

"I can't do this…" She said placing in back into the pocket and moving over to Dakota quickly. She bent down and began untying his wrist much to Marcel's shock.

"What are you doing? You can't let him go; you said you were going to…" She had cut him off.

"I know what I said in the car but I'm changing my mind. He doesn't deserve this torture just because I fell for him"

He had reached to stop her but she shoved him back hard. Dakota watched her then looked towards Marcel with a faint smile. Once she got one hand untied, she began moving onto the other. Violet was moving as fast as she could but it took her some time because she didn't know how Marcel tied it.

Once she was done with his feet, Violet stood up and turned around so that she didn't have to face him. The older vampire couldn't believe what was going on especially when he watched Dakota get up from the chair completely free. Before he could protest again, Violet spun around on her heel and shoved her hand through Dakota's chest.

The wolf and vampire had locked eyes as she held onto his beating heart before ripping it out in a swift movement. Dakota's lifeless body had fallen right back into the chair and she dropped it to the ground before looking back over at Marcel.

"Sorry about the shove, I know I pushed a little too hard" Violet raised her hand to look at the blood before slowly licking it off.

Marcel watched her quietly before looking away to the dead body. "You really had fun with that didn't you?"

"Damn right I did" She said in between checking her hand to see if she was getting most of the blood off. "Ripping my heart out may be one thing but trying to come after those two kids are a bigger issue. Speaking of, let's get going to our next mission"

Violet had begun walking away without another word. She did what felt right and what she wanted to do. Leaving Dakota alive wasn't an option but she wanted to make sure that she was the one to kill him. He had betrayed her trust and heart and Violet only wanted to be the last thing he saw before she pulled his heart from his body. Spinning around, she walked backwards while looking at Marcel.

"Come on, we have to gather those vampires to cause a blood bath. I don't know about you but I am hyped up over this and hungry so can we hurry…Plus I'm sure Aaliyah is not leaving Josh alone and he'd rather we'd get there sooner than later"

There were a couple of thoughts that crossed Marcel's mind as he played the scene out. She had told him that she wanted to kill him on the way there but he was growing worried of her state. He didn't want Violet to like this pattern and slowly lose herself. Maybe he worried about that with her too much but there was more at stake this time around.

"Are you okay?" He asked her slowly walking in her direction.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be? I got rid of some baggage and now we have to get rid of the rest of it. Trust me, I'm perfectly fine but I just want to get rid of the rest of these wolves for revenge. Can we just leave it as that?"

"I don't want you to get carried away out there, that's all I'm trying to say"

Rolling her eyes, she turned back around and headed out to the car.

* * *

The vampires next move was to find the pack of werewolves and make their presence known. Marcel knew what Violet's plan was going to be and he was going to have to agree with it. Killing wolves wasn't going to exactly be the right thing but it was the only thing that they could do.

Aaliyah and Jordan were their main focus through it all and it was exactly like Dakota was showing, they weren't going to stop until something happened. It was something they were facing that was actually different because the wolves usually backed down to the vampires. This new set was willing to fight them even though they knew that Violet and Marcel had enough power to kill all of them in an instant.

Armed with the vampire that Josh could finally gather, thy all stood outside of a cabin where most of them did their hanging out. They all had to be careful because it seemed like these wolves could turn without the moon and even though they retrieved the blood there wasn't enough for all the vampires. Marcel and Violet had stood in front of all of them as the leaders they are. She glanced at him before kicking the door as hard as she could and moved inside.

Everyone had stopped doing what they were doing and Violet looked around the entire place. "I think you guys forgot to send us some invites"

Neither Marcel or Violet knew who Bradi was but he was their main target. No one moved and both supernatural species stared one another down. One wolf however got antsy and shifted forward which led one of Josh's vampires to respond in defense.

Turning around, Marcel wanted it to go peaceful until there needed to be violence but it wasn't going the way he wanted. He had no choice but to include himself at the fight that was breaking out and Violet of course didn't hesitate at the chance.

With blood being blood being spilled all over the entire place there was wolves dropping around the entire cabin. The vampires had the upper hand because they could easily be stopped from turning into a vicious animal. Violet had wiped her forehead with the back of her hand after easily tearing into a few wolves. She had gotten the fill that she needed and just wanted to figure out who Bradi was.

Her boots were clicking past the dead bodies and she scanned all of them as she walked by. "Come out come out little wolf…I know you are still alive" She used her vampire hearing to find out if any of them were still breathing. After focusing, Violet picked up on one of them and pointed to him since he was over by Marcel.

Nodding at her, he grabbed the man and yanked him off of the floor, bloody and all. "I know an alpha when I see one and here you are willing to play dead while your pack gets killed. Their all dead you know, these vampires did a pretty good job"

Bradi shoved at him but that only made Marcel hold a tighter grip. Looking back at Violet, he got her attention while she was looking away. "Find the wife; I'm sure we could compromise with her in the picture"

All the vampires had finished off all of the wolves and Violet went scanning once again. Marcel didn't want to harm the woman but he knew what he could do. After a vampire had pointed Mara out, Violet grabbed her forcefully and held her against her chest.

"You protect your and we'll protect ours. As King of this city I am calling a truce between both of our groups. Those kids are off limits and we will back off…Actually you don't have much of a choice since because I'm not giving you that option. You shake your head yes in response or Violet will kill her"

He was putting his trust in Violet's and hoped that she wouldn't do anything crazy. With Bradi down probably half of his pack, there wasn't a reason he would retaliate. If he did it would have been stupid to attempt anything. Waiting for an answer, the wolf had slowly shaken his head which made Marcel shove him forward hard to the ground.

Violet watched then did the same with Mara and they both had been next to each other surrounded by their fellow pack members all dead. The vampires had exchanged an agreeing look on mutual terms and thanked the other vampires for their help. It was now their time to enact their last plan and put it into place.


	20. New Adventures and New Lives

_**A month and a half later**_

"Why do we have to go? I don't even like school…" Jordan had complained while hanging out in his favorite spot of the compound.

"Because this will be good for the both of you. You guys need to be around people of your own kind, you can't hang around us vampires forever you know" Violet commented packing some more things into a bag at the coffee table in the middle of the room.

"Why not? Is it because you are older than us?" Aaliyah asked of course curiously before reaching for her teddy bear.

Jordan looked at her as if she was clueless. "They live forever and we don't"

Marcel had given him a stern look and told him not to talk to his sister in that tone. It had been a little over a month that these kids had been in their care but things were slowly changing. After the wolf massacre that the two carried out happened, Marcel and Violet were putting off what they originally planned to do.

Rolling his eyes, Jordan plopped back down in the chair. His sass was growing and it was probably due to the fact that he hung around Violet too much. These kids had loved living around them for the last month or so and they were their hardest not to leave.

"Look, you guys will enjoy Mystic Falls. It's a new town with new faces" Marcel spoke moving over to Violet to help her.

"But it's not New Orleans…I don't want to live at some boarding school that I don't know anything about. I like the woods, I like nature not math"

"Mystic Falls has woods" Violet said throwing a few more things in the bag. "It's not that we don't want you here with us but it's something that should be done. It will protect you guys, you'll get schooling and have fun around kids your age"

Jordan was still skeptical on going but Aaliyah was ready for the adventure. It was going to be whole new scenery and she believed that they would get used to it. Another reason was that Violet and Marcel weren't getting along as famously as they should.

"Alright, everything is packed for now. Once we get there we're sticking around for a few days to check this place out and I'll come back here to get the rest of the things you need"

Both Marcel and Violet had never been to Mystic Falls so it was even new for them. Violet should have been there numerous due to her ties to Stefan but she had never actually gone. It was Hayley's suggestion through it all as she had finally gotten a hold of them. There hadn't been any issue with the wolves at all but they did want to keep them safe and that was the sacrifice of it all.

Violet had been hoping to meet Caroline for the first time but she had been gone for some other meetings. They got stuck with Alaric who they were familiar with and at least they trusted him completely. As the two little wolves and two vampires roamed the halls of the old Salvatore home, it was surreal for all of them that they were actually doing it.

"Okay, so you guys got the grand tour and now I can show you both to your rooms" Alaric had been in a good mood and been too cheery for it. "You guys I'm putting near each other since you both are so close. You can write your names on the whiteboard if you want"

Aaliyah was eager to draw on it and began to write her first name but stopped once it came to her last name. Jordan had already written it but it had taken Violet and Marcel to realize what it said.

Once he noticed they saw it, he smirked a little. "I wanted to take your guys last name" Aaliyah seemed concerned that hers didn't read the same so Violet helped them both out.

"Jordan and Aaliyah Gerard-Badeaux, I think it's a nice touch" Alaric commented seeing them change their names. "Alright, you guys can go hang out while I take these two for paper work and some other things"

The two children had ventured off to see more kids in the back playing and headed in that direction. Alaric once more guided them through the place and Violet spoke, "Can you believe these kids?" She asked Marcel.

"I think you both got a real good group of kids there. Some that come here are complaining that they miss home and their families but I think these two will adjust perfectly fine"

Marcel glanced at him. "You didn't hear them the whole car ride here" He joked.

Filling out a variety of different papers, they had answers questions they could fill in the best. Alaric had also called Hayley in so they could see her and she could help understand the situation since they were a little part of her pack.

"Oh don't worry, I'm sure when Hope finds out about she'll see it as a new thing for her to do. She can be the little guardian around here" Hayley said as they were all outside watching all the children.

Violet had smiled faintly then looked towards her. "Thank you for calling me back even though you were a month late" She said in a joking tone.

"Yeah, it saves the penthouse from burning down. Here's a word of advice, never let her cook anything because it's going to end in disaster"

She had elbowed Marcel hard in his arm which made Hayley laugh faintly. It was almost as if a piece of home was there with her since she couldn't see the Mikaelson's at all besides Freya.

"Well here we all are now. We've come a long way from fighting for the city to fighting for someone else's life. It was nice to see you both again…Are you guys like together or anything" Hayley was curious and there wasn't any harm in asking.

The two had exchanged a glance then turned to her at the exact same time. "Um…Not really" Violet said softly.

Nodding, she was curious but wasn't going to press for any kind of answers. She wanted to know what all had went on because last she knew they were dead but now there they were taking care of two kids and not together, at least she thought they would have been.

"So tell me more about this place, you've been here for longer than us" Violet asked quickly turning the subject.

As Hayley began to fill in the blanks that they still had, it seemed like it was the right choice to make. Neither one of them wanted the kids to be there but it was something they had decided on together. They were still going to stick together through it all and it was a new page for them…Unfortunately it wasn't going to last long.


	21. Four Degrees of Separation

**~~So here we are. Finally to season 5 of The Originals!~~Reanna.**

 _New Orleans, Louisiana. Four Years Later._

It was a Friday night and the bar was already packed. It wasn't a surprise because the New Orleans night life was booming lately especially with Mardi Gras coming in the next few weeks. Poppy had been serving drinks all night long and enjoyed it. She was coming up towards a table in the middle of the room so she grabbed enough drinks.

"Aren't you missing someone tonight?" The blonde vampire asked as she sat down a couple of drinks. "You guys look like you could use these"

"You know Josh, he's either on time or he is late even though we've been sitting here for the last twenty minutes"

Rushing over to the table, Josh jumped into the empty seat and took a deep breath. "I don't take that too kindly Violet"

The table had now been complete with each faction sitting there represented. Freya and Vincent had been sitting next to each other representing the witch community. It was a surprise but a great one at that for these two to get along considering their history with one another. Hayley had sat to their right staying on the wolf side and also looked new. She had cut her hair shorter showing off her carefree spirit better. Josh and Violet sat across from the witches obviously representing the vampire community. Violet had gotten a new look as well with her hair tied up into two buns, something she had never done before.

She looked over at Josh with the raise of her eyebrow. If you were going to take any longer, I think Vincent and Freya would age more than they already have" She joked with a faint laugh from Vincent.

He waited until Poppy was done speaking with all of them before speaking. "Everyone is ready for Mardi Gras right? The witches are getting everything set up but we're going to change it up a little bit this year. We're going to focus more on the dead than anything else. I think they should be a little bit more represented this year"

Freya had nodded while taking a drink. Once Vincent was finished she decided to chime in. "I think it's a clever idea knowing all that we've lost over the years. Our friends and family is one thing that really made me realize the whole purpose of it"

Hayley had nodded then looked over towards Josh whose phone had gone off on the table. Checking it, he smiled at everyone then looked back over at Hayley. "What about you? How are the wolves doing?"

"Perfectly fine expect for the fact that they are not that eager to start on this float. I think they just need a little inspiration which I'm sure Hope will be able to help with" All of them had now looked at her and Hayley just leaned back in her chair with a sigh. "Let's just say she got suspended and will come back here for a few days"

Violet shifted her eyes over towards Josh and wanted to say something but didn't want to start an argument. It was going to be dangerous for her to return back to New Orleans. "How is she? Turning into a mini Klaus?" She decided to ask something simple.

"God let's hope not" Freya said with another drink.

"Luckily she's a good girl and a good student at that. She's really good in that school and I'm thankful for something like that. I know she really misses her Father and she's just acting out. Being home for a while will be good for her" Hayley was leaving out the reason she was getting kicked out and was saving it for another conversation.

The female vampire tipped her glass towards her and Hayley clicked it. "Tell me about it, I don't know what would have happened if you would have never reminded me about the school" She was referring to sending Aaliyah and Jordan up there four years ago.

"How are they doing?" Vincent asked her.

"They are doing good from when I last had my parent teacher conference. Aaliyah is getting all good grades and making friends but Jordan is still struggling to find his place there. He still wants to come home. I just hope he doesn't get suspended"

It was no secret that Violet had a hard time missing the two children. She hid it the best she could but it was good for her to get out of NOLA and visit them. She had other problems that nagged at her but she at least kept one in line. Josh's phone had gone off again and he quickly answered it.

"Do you have a hot date to go on?" Hayley asked curiously. With all of them representing the different factions, they had all gotten along real well and hung out like this on occasion.

"With the cook here? No, it's just a friend I haven't talked to in a while" He was referring to Declan.

Vincent had doubted his story but wasn't going to act on it. "So how about you guys? What's the vampires plan for this parade?" He asked lowly.

"We've got everything under control. I tried to get them on an all purple theme but that didn't go over so well" His phone had gone off again and Violet began getting agitated. "Anyway, I've been keeping my eye on it and it's coming together. I've been adding more and more beads to it so we're good"

Hearing it go off again, Violet snapped her head to her right to look at the male vampire. "I swear you better tell whoever that is that we are doing something important and tell them to text you a different time"

Before he could answer, the noise went off again which prompted her to lean forward on the table and check it herself. Violet's face had fell flat when she saw who it was from and began typing something back.

Vincent could tell by the look on her face who it was and that prompted him to sit back in his seat. "He's not king of this city anymore Josh. Whatever Marcel wants doesn't apply to any of this"

After clicking her purple nails on Josh's keypad, she threw the phone onto the table and crossed her arms leaning back as well. She then reached for her drink and took a long sip.

"Have you talked to Marcel?" Hayley questioned.

Violet took another drink before answering. "Nope nor do I want to. He's fine where he is at and I'm fine where I'm at"

Everyone in the entire city knew about the fall out between Marcel and Violet. It was an awkward, tense and sad situation and that was another problem she was dealing with for the last four years. It was something she never discussed; if she did it was just something brief.

Freya then glanced between them and asked a question of her own. "Don't you see each other when you visit Mystic Falls?"

Shaking her head no Violet spoke, "Nope. I made sure to have two separate plans. Whenever he is goes I'm staying here and vice versa. I don't have any reason to be near him"

Vincent could feel the tension rising and it wasn't targeted at anyone. Violet was fueling herself full of hate again and it wasn't uncommon. "Well…You are the one in control of the vampires and you've been doing a damn good job if I can say so myself"

The blonde smiled and agreed. They had made a little bit more small talk before Hayley had to head back to the compound. Freya had been right in the middle of something when Violet's own phone had gone off. Reaching into her pants pocket, she pulled it out looking at the number.

Josh leaned over thinking it was Marcel because she didn't leave a nice reply back. He knew it wouldn't have been Josh so it was clear. Her green eyes stared at the number but didn't recognize it. Holding it up for the others to see, no one said anything but Freya seemed like she knew something.

Getting up from her chair, Violet fixed her sweater then moved away from the table to answer. "Hello?"

"Hey Violet, its Rebekah. Do you have a second?" Rebekah Mikaelson had been on the other line, one person she hadn't talked to either in four years.

Freezing in place, Violet turned back around slowly to look at Freya who hadn't looked at her. She had lost Marcel's number a while ago and then ended up changing it. The only way Rebekah could have her number is from Freya or Hayley. "Hello?..."

Clearing her throat, Violet wanted to hang up but was curious as to what she wanted. "Still here so talk, I've got stuff to do"

Rebekah knew that she would have been stand-offish. "Look, I know I'm calling out of the blue especially after everything that happened but I need a favor done and I need some help"

Scoffing, she wanted to sit back down to hear what she was going to say. Josh had glanced over but she raised her finger to hold him up. "If this has to do with Marcel then no. Actually you don't need my help for anything and you can call your sister for that"

"Violet wait!" She was two seconds away from hanging up and Rebekah knew that. She was in desperate need of help and she was the second person she could call for the task. "I know that things are bad between us but Klaus is acting up again and I can't go over to France…"

She quickly cut her off. "Before you press any further, Klaus is your brother last I checked so he is your problem. I get that you can't be around him but last I checked as well I dumped him. I want nothing to do with you, your problems so please just lose my number and leave me the hell alone"

"Klaus still values you. He knows that you will call him out for his actions and I really don't see anything ending well especially if Hope ends up getting involved. Please, Violet I really need someone to just at least check on Klaus"

Sitting back firmly, she ignored the looks from Josh because she knew he was picking up on context clues and listening in. "Where is he?" Violet was annoyed but it was at least worth a listen.

"He's in France. I know it is a lot to ask for and I'm sorry this is out of the blue but I didn't know who else to call" There was a touch of hope in Rebekah's voice.

Violet wasn't sure what to answer and took a deep breath. She did not want to help Rebekah in any way shape or form but it was Klaus. Debating on it, she would play a game with her back. "Let me think about it but I've got Mardi Gras planning to do. Lose my number and don't call again"

Hanging up before Rebekah could say anything else, she leaned a little forward to slip the phone back into her back pocket. Josh had still been staring at her. "If that wasn't random…" He said hoping that it wouldn't anger her that he had been nosy.

"Tell me about it. Would I ever though that I'd get a call like that? No but every once and awhile someone one wants to surprise us" Violet had reached for her drink knowing what he was about to ask next.

"Are you going to help Klaus? I mean, you get to go on like a mini vacation to France"

Even though Violet had said all night long, she found herself on a plane by morning and had already been shipped to France. There was a part of her that was curious as to what was going on that Rebekah would need her to do it. It wasn't like Freya wasn't an opinion so she really wondered why it had to be her.

She had just stepped out of a cab in front of a building that was the address Rebekah had sent her. It just looked a like a plain old building and she felt that it wasn't even the right place. One thing she was having a hard time with was the language because Violet didn't know one word in French. She really wondered why she agreed to it but there wasn't any turning back now.

Once the cab drove away, another one had appeared out of the blue and she turned to look at it. She prayed it wasn't Rebekah because she would have easily turned right back around. Seeing a blonde pop out of it in the same manner of confusion, she finally realized that she had never seen the woman before.

The two blondes stared at each other and slowly approached one another. "And here I thought Rebekah had sent me to do this alone…Who are you?" The female asked.

Violet hesitated answering but they were there on the same goal. "I'm Violet and I am going to assume that you have to handle the Klaus problem as well?"

"I'm Caroline…You're Stefan's old friend and the Mother of those two children, correct?" Caroline had of course recognized the name easily. Violet had nodded finally getting to meet her. "Aaliyah talks about you all the time…How come I've never met you before? Marcel comes all the time but I've never had the chance to finally meet you"

"I try my best to stay far away from him as possibly. Every time I show up when I'm need Alaric is the one that is helping me" Violet stepped closer and looked her up and down until her eyes laid on Caroline's necklace. "I'm sorry about Stefan; I know you didn't get a lot of time together that night"

Caroline had thanked her and there was a pause of silence. The girls didn't know what else to say and both turned to the building at the same time. "So Rebekah called you too? I have a feeling this isn't going to end good"

Glancing over Violet spoke, "Unfortunately she did and I am really regretting it. The only plus on this trip is probably meeting you…Do you have a plan in mind?"

Approaching Klaus was one thing but finding him in his state of madness was another. Neither one of them knew exactly what to do because talking sense into Klaus was going to be like talking to a brick wall. At least they all had shared something in common now. Both female vampires moved inside and used their senses to pick up where he was.

Violet of course had smelled the blood and she told Caroline she would act first. Peeking around a corner to find him, she zipped forward and yanked him off of the body he was feeding on. Klaus surprised by the action was appalled until he realized who it was.

"Hello love…" Klaus Mikaelson spoke with a faint bit of sarcasm in his voice. "I haven't saw you in a while…What's with the new hair?" He pointed to his own head mocking her hairstyle.

She refrained herself from vamping out and looked the body over. "Oh bite me. The last thing I want to do is be in France when I have festival planning to do. Thank your sister for this visit. Why am I here? What are you doing besides this?"

"She is always the dramatic one, isn't she?" Klaus shook his head then smirked at her. "For one who loves killing people, you sure have changed. She's just sore that I keep hanging around Elijah…And let me guess, you are here to talk me out of my ways correct?"

Placing her hands on her hips, she waited to say something expecting Caroline to pop out. "That's what I was called for but I think you've got more to worry about then me" Klaus's face was still full of amusement and Violet smiled herself nodding at the doorway.

Caroline knew it was her cue and she started walking into the room which now upset Klaus. He hadn't saw her in many years and it was a pleasant yet unpleasant surprise. She had glanced towards all of the bodies looking at the damage he was doing.

"When you asked to take me around the world I didn't expect it to go like this" Caroline joked standing beside Violet almost in the same manner.

Violet turned her head to look at the blonde. "He promised you that to?" She now looked at Klaus with a faint laugh. "If you want to impress a girl I would suggest trying something new"

Rolling his eyes yet again, Klaus watched the two girls but Caroline shifted her attention over towards Paris in surprise but curiosity. They had discussed each other's history with him before going inside so they were aware to a certain degree.

"I got Paris and Tokyo, how about you?" Caroline asked wondering what he told her.

Violet had to think for a second. "Well actually I was dying and explained how I never left the country so I suggested different places but we just crossed paths in Moscow not too long ago. Isn't that right?" She asked him with a glint in her eyes. Some things would remain silent on their part of the trip. "Anyway, Caroline here offered to stay with you because I've got a lot on my plate right now"

Stepping closer to them Klaus spoke, "Oh right, I forgot that you are Queen of the city now. Run along then. I'm sure Caroline here could do a much better job than you anyway"

Violet scoffed at his remark then gave Caroline a good luck look. She thanked her for staying and knew that she would have a better time getting through to Klaus than herself. Caroline seemed like a strong willed woman who wouldn't stop until she reached her goal. It was now time for Violet to return home to more of a mess than what she was leaving in France.

Dragging herself up the stairs, she unlocked the front door and threw her bag onto the wooden floor with a loud thud. It had been a long two days and two flights was even more exhausting to her. She hoped that Josh handled everything okay and shot him a text that she was home.

Plopping into one of the chairs, she could hear some music playing from Bourbon Street. Violet had ditched the penthouse four years ago and opted for a nice two story apartment right in the heart of the Quarter. She felt it was easier to keep track of everything and she couldn't be trapped in that penthouse with the memories floating around.

The apartment was to her liking with large windows, open spaces and balcony that overlooked the Quarter. Of course she went crazy painting but it was exactly to her liking. Violet felt free and fresh while there. Her bedroom and bathroom took the second floor with a spiral staircase towards the kitchen which went into the living room. It was more in the style of a loft but it was a nice place for her to start somewhere new. On top of it, it had an extra little room downstairs that she used whenever Aaliyah and Jordan came for a visit.

Hearing a knock at the door, Violet opened her eyes and turned to it before calling out it was open. She knew it was Josh because he said he needed to speak with her immediately.

"You look tired…And here I thought you never slept because the Quarter was too noisy. How is Klaus?" He joked once he stepped inside and closed the door behind him. He walked over to where she was and took a seat in the other chair next to her. "We've got a problem on our hands"

Shifting better, she groaned before sitting up completely. She was wishing it was going to be something about the parade float. "Still an ass as always. Please tell me that the witches or wolves or someone doesn't want to start another fight. I've dealt with enough of those lately"

Since Marcel had left, Violet stuck around to help Josh with the vampire community. He gave her complete reign of everything so she was now the queen of it all. They worked close together on everything and they made a great team. Tensions had been rising lately but things were still under control.

"Some kid who I've never saw around here attacked Poppy…And now she's dead. Wolf bite" He said it slowly as she was a friend to them and to all the communities.

Pausing, Violet took a long deep breath and thought what he said over. "Okay…Now we are going to have a problem with the werewolves. Not even gone a day and something like this happens" She stopped then looked over at him. "So it was a kid? We know it wasn't Hope and I sure know it wasn't one of my kids. What kid is going come in here and kill a vampire? For what?"

"Well Greta has been gathering the vampires to talk them through everything" Josh said which made her roll her eyes. They both liked Greta but she did have an attitude and strong opinion. "I don't know, we'll have to go down and talk to the wolves and figure out who, what and why"

Sighing, she sat back and put her head onto the back of the chair still looking at him. "Let me get changed and I guess we'll go down to speak with the wolves first. I'll handle the vampires tomorrow" Violet got up and stretched before yawning. "That's it right?"

Josh had debated on tell her about what he learned from Marcel. He was on his way home from New York and Violet wasn't going to be thrilled about it. He smiled faintly and decided to push it away. "No, that's all we have to worry about at the moment"


	22. Jeter de l'huile sur le feu

**Chapter 22: Jeter de l'huile sur le feu**

New Orleans was going to fracture but it was going to do so slowly. Poppy's death had rung through the city before Violet could even pick up any of the pieces. After her little French date with Caroline and Klaus, she was thrown into a whirlwind of drama.

The first part of the puzzle was trying to find out who the mysterious boy was that killed her. The vampires didn't know any wolves personally so they couldn't just pick a face from the crowd. Besides that, Violet didn't want to charge into the bayou to cause more problems. They were more than likely protecting him because Josh had said he was a teenager.

Second, she was going to have to figure out a plan with the vampires. Of course they would want revenge for her but the city had been built on peace for the last four years. Josh, Violet, Freya, Vincent and Hayley had all came to agreements and it was actually working in everyone's favor. Vampires however still had a problem with wolves and this was a nail in someone's coffin.

Gathering all the vampires at Rousseau's, Josh had waited for Violet to pop in. She had called a meeting for all of them after their talk in her apartment but she was taking forever changing her clothes and getting down there. She decided to change it to that night because the vampires would be antsy. They had all gotten drinks and waited making conversation.

"So when is the almighty queen coming down? I mean she did call us down here" Greta had been sitting to Josh's left and he looked over at her.

"She just has to change and she should be here any moment, well that's what she told me" He commented.

"Well some of us have things to do and I really don't want to wait here all night" Josh had glanced down at his drink hoping that she didn't realize his annoyance. He didn't' mind Greta but she always put her two cents in when it didn't need to be.

At least five minutes later, she had jogged inside of the bar which got the attention of the fifteen vampires that occupied it. Violet had taken her time getting ready because she looked like she was ready to crawl into bed. Sporting baggy plaid sweatpants, a black tank top and her hair in a braid over her shoulder, she didn't look very intimidating or a queen at all.

Her green eyes had looked through everyone counting to see how many were there. "Sorry that took so long. Most of you know I just got back and I was planning a relaxing night now this happened" She walked further inside and stood in the middle of the room. "As all of you know, Poppy has been killed due to a werewolf bite"

"Yeah, what are you going to do about it?" A male vampire named Noah had asked and he was sitting at the bar.

"Well first I have to figure out who was the one who bit her; I can't just go into the swamp and kill any wolf I see"

"Why not? We all have heard that you've done it before so why not now?" Greta commented looking down the bar at Noah before asking her own question. "I mean Poppy was everyone's friend here and we can't let these werewolves get away with it"

This was the first major problem that she had had to deal with since she decided to represent the vampires. There had been little problems here and there but not something as big as this. Violet could see how much the vampires were irritated and bothered by Poppy's death. She was as well but she just hoped that they would listen to her.

"The past is the past and I grew up from that time" Violet had considered herself more grown up due to the fact that she was under her own order and not Marcel's. "Look, I get that her death is going to affect all of us but starting a war with werewolves isn't going to help anyone. I will take the right action once I find out who it was. Until then I want all of you to hold off on your anger"

That made Greta scoff out loud before taking a drink of the bourbon she had. Violet had been walking in a circle looking at all of them before stopping right before Greta. "Do you have a problem?"

Though it didn't look like it, the two females had gotten along in the past. Violet always believed she had an attitude problem but nothing really happened to give them beef. She didn't understand why Greta was so affected by it because she and Poppy weren't really friends.

"You're just protecting them, I mean you and the wolves have something in common" For Greta being a younger vampire, she still had a lot to say.

Another vampire and male whose name Violet couldn't remember, though she believed it to be Emmett voiced his opinion as well. "Yeah, you have those two kids. How do we not know if you are protecting those two?"

Josh had actually leaned forward to look at the man with the shake of his head. Some of these vampires had more opinions than others and they challenged any way they could. Violet knew the majority of the vampires didn't trust her or like that she had close ties to the wolves.

"I'm sorry; did I ask any of you to question me? Yes, it is well known that I have taken in two werewolf children who are now by the way my children. They still have my last name as well as Marcel's so if you have a problem then get out of my city. My kids are at a school not even in New Orleans, they are not activated wolves nor will they be any time soon. You all are living in my city; I am the one who runs the vampire community. You listen to me, you will do exactly what I tell you and I said to leave the problem alone until I have it handled"

Emmett had snorted out a laugh of disbelief. He was thinking the same thing as Greta in which they should just raise hell with the werewolves. He felt that Violet was just cowering and covering for the kids that she was taking care of. Glaring his direction, she looked all the vampires over before zipping towards him. Grabbing him by the throat, she drug him off of the chair and went back to the spot she was in before.

"You want to see what will happen if you make another comment?" Josh had slowly risen slightly in his seat and Violet glared at Emmett. "My city, my rules. I say back off, you back off" Violet held onto him tight and he didn't' make an effort but winced at her grip. "Trust me; the last thing I want is to have any other vampire killed. I don't want any of you to do something stupid that will only make matters worse. I'm asking you all to hold off for a day or two"

The vampires had slowly and quietly agreed by nodding their heads. Glancing down at Emmett, she asked him, "You good or do you want to keep testing my patience?" Her eyes trailed to Greta momentarily before he nodded and she let go of him.

Rubbing her hands together, she told all of them they could go on their way and most of them had left. Josh had to hand it to her by showing some sort of force because these vampires were stubborn. Holding out a glass of bourbon, Violet watched them leave before stepping over to him taking the glass.

"Well that wasn't what I thought was going to happen…What's with the pro violence thing?" He asked only curious.

"Some people just don't listen" Violet took a drink to make sure Emmett had left. "He's irritating, I'm sick of him always questioning me, half of them do that just because of Aaliyah and Jordan" Finishing the bourbon, she handed Josh the glass back. "I'll be here bright and early tomorrow and we can come up with something then"

* * *

Violet had meant early in the morning because she had been there before Josh. He ran the bar mostly by himself but there were times that she swung by to help clean, gather items or whatever else he needed. She had really surprised him by how much she was putting into the city.

It had almost been ten in the morning by the time Josh strolled in and Violet was behind the bar checking the alcohol off and putting up new bottles. She looked cheery compared to last night and looked ready for the day. She had her hair back in two buns and wore ripped jeans with a light pink tank top. Josh told her that she looked like Barbie but she only laughed at his comment before he moved into the kitchen.

Hearing her phone ring, she didn't make an effort to get it until Josh came out with it in his hand; she had left it in the kitchen. Answering it, it was Jordan on the other end. "Please tell me that you didn't get kicked out again?"

"No…I was calling to ask if you could bring me some more of my clothes. Or send them or whatever you do with them. It's not a big deal or anything but I'm sick of these uniforms"

Putting the phone on speaker, she was relieved because Violet was worried that he would have been calling like Hope with bad news. Placing the clipboard down, she looked over the rack of alcohol. "I can mail them but you know you have to wear those uniforms. You're not giving Alaric or Caroline trouble I hope. The last conference I had, he had told me…"

Jordan cut her off, "That I am having attitude problems; they would too if they watched their parents get murdered and I'm far away from home. Why can't I just go to school in New Orleans?" He had paused and she could hear a younger voice in the background. "Hold on, Aaliyah wants to say hi"

Aaliyah had eagerly ripped the phone from her brother to speak. "Violet! Did you get the last letter I wrote? Thank you for the shoes and necklace. Oh! Did I tell you what we got to do the other day in gym? How was your vacation? Is France pretty?"

Violet had been surprised at how excited she was considering she had just spoken to her at least five days ago. She called after she found matching converse in yellow and green, both their colors respectively. She also had sent them a little Fleur de Lis pendant with the same color gem on the front.

"Okay, one question at a time. Yes I did, I was going to call you tonight but I'll reread it again. You guys are more than welcome, do you need anything sent? No you didn't and France was nice but short. Did that answer all of them?" Placing her hands on the bar, she waited for a response.

Not hearing anything, she heard the two start arguing over who was going to talk to her. Violet had yelled at them to quit fighting but Jordan was the next one to answer. "I'll call you later, we aren't supposed to be on the phone this early" He hung up quickly before she could get another word in.

Taking a breath, her morning was off to an interesting start to say the least. Moving the phone, Violet continued on checking bottles off when she heard the bells on the door ring. "We're still closed, come back in like an hour"

Not turning around, she listened to the footsteps get closer to the bar and that made her turn her head to the side. She thought it was Emmett or Greta wanting to talk with her and Violet didn't want to face them that early. "I said we're closed…" Spinning around, Violet's face had fallen into shock and she froze completely in her spot.

"I heard you the first time Vi…" Marcel Gerard had been standing on the opposite side of the bar, his hands in his pockets. He looked as awkward as she did. "I like the new look, well the new hair and all"

It took her a moment to gain her composure and she stood up straighter. Violet's eyes had shifted away from him and there were a million thoughts that ran through her head. It was almost like she was standing in the middle of the ocean and letting the waves crash into her. A train had smashed into her chest, her heart wanted to be ripped from her body.

"Why are you here?" She asked quietly knowing that he heard her.

"Decided to come home for a while…I see that you are working with Josh. I had assumed that you had left New Orleans. I tried calling you a while back" He stepped closer to her, the awkwardness closing in on both of them.

"I debated on leaving but then I realized Josh needed my help so I stuck around for him. I mean I didn't have any other reason to stay besides loving this city" Spinning around, she went back to the alcohol and closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Where's your girlfriend at?"

Four years ago the two had broken up after their Mystic Falls journey. They had gone two separate ways and he ended up in New York while she went back to New Orleans. It was something that she didn't want but it was what it was. Violet and Marcel had actually talked to one another at least once during that time but then she cut off every tie to him.

"Um…That's sort of a tricky question" Marcel slowly sat down at the bar and glanced around for a second. "I proposed to her a few days ago"

Feeling her heart sink down further, she quickly turned back around without a thought. It was an honest reaction because she couldn't believe what she had heard. "What she'd do? I doubt she said no" Violet had joked knowing how much Rebekah was head over heels with someone. Marcel hadn't answered her but slowly looked at her. Pausing for a moment, she realized what had gone on. "Well that sucks for you then"

There wasn't anything else she could say so she turned back to hide her emotions. It was a mix between relief, happy and sadness but she didn't want him to see it. "So that's why you are here, Rebekah tells you no and you decide to come back home?"

There was a pitch of irritation in her voice because she knew that was the real reason he returned. There was a little bit of hope that it was for her but she already proved that theory wrong every year. Violet didn't even want to look at him considering that was the real reason.

Marcel had sat there quietly knowing she already knew the answer. He didn't even know what to say so he decided to turn the conversation around. "I listened to your speech last night to the vampires; I have to say you handled yourself well"

Stopping what she was writing, Violet was curious to that. "You were here?" She had looked around the room so much that she didn't know how she could have missed him.

"Yeah, I showed up last night but thought I'd hang back because I didn't think it was the right time to show back up. I'm glad you stayed…You really seem to own the place around here"

Scoffing at the remark, she shook her head before facing him. "Yeah well these vampires don't seem to listen to me so it's not as easy as you think. Then again, you've been gone for four years so you wouldn't remember what it's like to run a city" She couldn't help but get another dig in.

Josh had walked in strides from the kitchen and that made Violet turn her head in his direction once she saw him coming their way. He had looked at her before looking at Marcel in surprise. Even though he knew he was coming it was still a surprise to him. Smiling faintly, the two had exchanged a small hug.

"Are you two done? I have things to get to" She said slowly waiting to get their attention.

The younger vampire had done a fake laugh towards her but out of good fun. "Well you're going to have to put the bar on hold because I just got a tip from one of the werewolves that Greta and some vampires are heading out to the Bayou right now as we speak"

* * *

Violet, Josh and Marcel had piled into Josh's silver truck in order to rush out to the Bayou in order to stop whatever was going on. She should have known better than to trust these new vampires but they were getting harder to control. Most of them didn't want to listen even though she was putting firm enough action down. On top of it, she didn't want Marcel going but he wasn't listening to her either.

Once they arrived, Violet jumped out first and began marching towards where the Crescent wolves lived. She hadn't been out there in a long time and she hoped to keep it that way. Glancing over her shoulder, Marcel trailed behind Josh once again surprised at how much she was taking action. She had been helpful when he ran the city but this was something new to him.

Lisina had saw her marching over and moved quickly in her direction. "Thank God, I had Andrew call Josh…I don't know what these vampires want but they are threatening us because they want Henry"

Violet had stopped once she reached her. "They want that kid that killed Poppy; do you know who it was?" She had done a little investigating and found out it was a teenager but didn't find out his name. She also found out that he is a newly turned hybrid.

The wolf had frowned and sighed out loud. "His name is Henry, I'm the one looking out for him. He doesn't have any family left and I was the one who took him in…" Lisina's face had changed down to a plea of desperation. "Please don't let them take him. I need to talk to him first and he won't open up to me"

Placing her hands on her hips, she looked past the woman. "Look, my hands are tied. These vampires are hard to keep track of, these are people not from the city and from God knows where. Everyone is on edge because she's dead and I need to talk to Henry. If I do something now then they might calm down"

Marcel had walked over and Lisina looked at him with a question. Violet threw her hand out to brush him off and began walking towards the rest of the vampires. "Okay…Did not any of you listen to me last night? Clearly you didn't and here we are"

The vampires were in the wolves faces wanting to get into a home which she was assuming Henry was hiding in. They had backed off of them after she made her presence known. "Here's what we all are going to do. First, you all are going to leave and never return here. Second, you all need your ears checked because I'm ready to throw all of you in that garden. Third, I'm the one running the show and I call the shots. That being said, I'm the one talking to the kid and none of you have anything to do with this"

Greta had snapped her head towards her and walked slowly in her direction. Of course Emmett had been near her and had smirked faintly when he watched everything. "You didn't do anything soon enough. These werewolves need to hand over the boy for punishment. What are you going to do? Talk with him and let him go free?"

Raising an eyebrow, Violet let out a faint laugh then shook her head. "I get that you think I'm going easy on the wolves because of my two kids, yet again I am repeating myself from last night. What you don't seem to get is that this needs to be handled by me and me only. I'm the one making the call and I will handle this the way I want. So you all need to leave and I will solve our or my little problem"

The other vampire had turned to look at the others wanting to see what they thought. Greta had shaken her head annoyed at Violet because she wasn't handling the situation the way that they all wanted. They had all stared at her, Lisina and the wolves watched and no one was budging. It was time for Marcel to step forward where he hung back so no one could see him.

"You heard her. She said leave so leave before there is a bigger problem" He spoke standing next to her, sticking up as no one else did even though Josh would have as well.

"Marcel Gerard, the king gets control of the city once again…" Greta said before stepping back to where she was before. Gathering the vampires, they looked the two over.

"Let me make another thing clear, he has no control over this city. I do and Marcel is not the one you are listening to so move it before I decide to decorate this place with the color red"

Waiting for all of them to move, she wasn't going to go after Henry until they all began to move and disappear. Looking towards Marcel when she heard his phone go off, she figured it was Rebekah so she quickly moved away and made her way towards the cabin.

The Crescents hadn't even moved for her and Lisina jogged over and grabbed her upper arm for a second. Usually she didn't like people touching her but she really didn't mind the woman. "Please let me speak with him first, I know he'll talk to me"

"I'm not going to hurt him, there are still rules set in place and one is that we don't harm children. If I don't speak with him first you are going to have the night and day walkers back out here. I've already got a good enough idea on what to do"

Taking a breath, she still hesitated to let her go. Violet turned to her for approval and waited for an answer. "Look, when you become a vampire it is very hard to control yourself. There is no doubt in my mind that what he did was an accident; I know he didn't mean to kill her. I'm going to keep him in the garden for a couple of days and that way I know he is under control"

"The garden? Violet I know what happens to vampires in there" There was complete concern rising in her voice and eyes.

"You know what I am, if I don't get Henry under control then he is going to become a ripper just like me. This way I can help him benefit from it. He's going to get blood; I just want him to understand that he can't end up like me"

It was a definite turn compared to the Violet four years ago. She wouldn't have cared so much but things and people change. One thing that helped her understand the situation was because of Aaliyah and Jordan. She still didn't like the wolves but it wasn't so much hatred anymore. On top of it she really didn't need a ripper running around New Orleans especially with Mardi Gras right around the corner.

Henry had been listening the entire time and popped out of the cabin he was ducking away in. He stood there and it caught Violet's attention immediately. It was the first time that she got a look at him and he really was just a teenager.

"I want to do it…They won't come back here unless she has me" He said quietly and began walking over.

Marcel had been on the phone speaking with Klaus who had called him out of the blue. He wasn't sure why he was getting a call from him because he hadn't talked to him in four years either. Rubbing his eyes, he slipped his phone back into his jacket and stepped over.

"It looks like you have another issue on your hands my Queen" He mocked grabbing her upper arm to pull her back slightly. Violet had been taken back by the action but waited for him to talk "Hayley has gone missing"


	23. Messy Garden, Broken Bourbon Street

Taking Henry down to the garden was supposed to be a simple plan and it was to a certain degree. He was willing and somewhat friendly to Violet and she was the same way back. She was glad that it wasn't a struggle and it was only the two of them. She sent Josh back to the bar and Marcel was going to speak with Klaus since he also returned back to New Orleans.

Violet's mind had wandered over to Hayley and the new situation that was starting to pop up. The last time she saw her was before France when they all met in the bar. She knew that Hope was back but never encountered her.

As she made her way through the abandon house, memories had flooded her mind and she tried her best to push them away. Glancing behind her shoulder, she noticed Henry looking around with concern in his eyes. "Trust me, it's bad at first but you won't be here long, not nearly as long as I was"

Henry had brushed his hair away from his eyes before focusing his attention on her. "You were in here?"

She nodded turning a corner still focusing on what's in front of her. "Yep, fifteen years but I was locked away for five but not here. You'll be here for just a few days so it's nothing to freak out about"

Violet knew that Henry was scared but there wasn't anything she could say that would change his mind. She couldn't convince him it wasn't going to be bad and he was just a newly turned hybrid, he would crave blood. It was going to be terrifying and hard but if it kept the vampires off her back for now then it had to be a plan.

Leading him to the hole in the wall, she stopped in front of it but he waited a few feet away from her. Swallowing hard, he didn't want to move and began to regret offering to go.

"Look, you're doing both of us a favor. Those guys aren't going to go back as long as I have you in here. They have no idea you are going to go in the garden and I will put a vampire on watch if that makes you feel any better"

Henry still hesitated for a moment and walked carefully in her direction. She pointed into the little space for him to move into. He did so then looked around. "You said I'll end up like you...What does that mean?" He was referring to when he told Lisina about her being a ripper.

Grabbing his hands, Violet placed them back against the wall before plopping down on the dirty ground in order to start bricking him inside. "You don't know what a ripper is, do you?" She questioned but he looked at her with the shake of his head. "I have a hard time keeping control of myself, I like to rip heads off and tear into throats without a care in the world. I sometimes turn the emotions off which someone will need to teach you. You don't want to become that monster, do you? Because let me tell you, when you get a reputation of a ripper it doesn't go away and no one lets you forget you past"

Now the boy had begun feeling worse after hearing that story. He didn't mean anyone to harm and killing Poppy was a complete accident as he was just hungry. As she put the first brick down, he leaned forward. "Wait!"

Raising her green eyes, she stopped waiting for him to get back into his place. "I can't do this...Let me go back to Mystic Falls and hid there. Please don't do this" Henry grabbed her wrist and she looked at it before him, he removed it quickly.

"Do you want to die now or later? If I don't put you here someone will follow you and either kill you or your wolves out in the swamp. I get it, you are probably a seventeen year boy who likes playing someone sort of sport and enjoys school but you world has now completely changed. You need to adapt to this life or it will eat you alive...Or someone else will. I also don't allow anyone to harm kids and you classify as one so you'll be safer here. Trust me Kid"

Debating on it again, he wasn't sure exactly what to think. He wanted to go home and hide away; he wanted to return to school. It was a stupid decision he made but it was something he wanted at the time. Backing against the wall, he took a deep breath trying not to cry even though he couldn't help it.

Violet had done her best to ignore his sobs and focus on the bricks. Wiping her forehead, she had finally got them piled up to waist so she got off the ground to stand. As she bent down to grab another, a sound from down the long, narrow hallway. Snapping her head that way, Henry did the same and his eyes revealed panic again.

Placing a finger to her lips, she silenced him and didn't move an inch. It worried her if it was one of the vampires that caused trouble and she was preparing for it. Turning that way slowly, Violet saw movement and waited to see who it was...It was only Marcel.

Noticing her expression, he laughed faintly. "You still have that I'll tear your head off look I see...Josh told me you were down here so I came to help"

Sighing in relief, she reached back for the brick she was originally going for. "I've got this handled so you can go tour the city" She said it with frost in her voice. Henry was looking at him remembering him from earlier.

Walking over to her, he watched her, looked at the kid then looked at the work she had left. "It wasn't an offer, I think this will save you some trouble" Turning back to his right where he just came from, another person was showing up.

Violet put set the brick down with cement then noticed he was looking away. She could tell a female figure was approaching but the dim lighting hid her.

When she came into view, Henry had become a little excited and thankful. "Hope...What are you doing here?"

She knew the name obviously because no one else she knew had the name Hope. Even though she attended the Salvatore Boarding School with her two, she never ran into her. Violet was there to pick them up for their spring break or week trips home and to the school meetings she had to attend with Alaric. She hadn't gone there much as she was busy down there and if they weren't with her or school, they had gone to New York to visit Marcel.

Hope had smiled faintly towards her friend then greeted Marcel with a hug. Klaus had asked if she would go meet him down there, she was more than glad to do so. It was nice for them to reunite and Violet watched momentarily before grabbing another brick to continue on.

Once they parted, Marcel watched Violet with a faint look of disappointed. "Hope, this is Violet, Vi you already know Hope. Actually you both know each other already; it's just been a few years"

The youngest Mikaelson had remembered her as well as they spent those couple of times together when she was seven years old. Violet stopped what she was doing to face her and just stared at her for a moment. "It's nice to see you again Violet…Do you mind if I talk with Henry?"

Shaking her head faintly, she brushed her hands together. "No, I can see you two know each other well and I'm sure the kid will benefit from it" She paused for a moment. "I'm sorry about your Mom; I'll do what I can to help find her"

Marcel had filled in her on what Klaus said and supposedly Hope had a hand in it all. It was a mess for sure but Hayley needed to be found not only for her but the wolves as well. She had shown the vampire a faint smile and thanked her before turning to her friend. Marcel had nodded his head towards Violet for her to step to the side.

Following him away from the two, Violet backed up against the wall and rested her back on it while he stood in front of her. "Klaus had said that Hope had been the one who turned him. I don't know exactly why she did it but there's a part of the puzzle solved for you"

Crossing her arms, she looked down the dark hallway then looked at him. "Okay so what is she doing?"

"The sire bond between them is strong so she's trying to convince him that he's going to be okay in there and get him to stop killing. I still suggest keeping him in there for a few days"

"Oh don't worry; he's staying there for at least five. The last thing I need is a ripper running through this city during Mardi Gras. The vampires are antsy, Caroline talked sense into Klaus, Hayley is missing and I have yet to let me hair down…I mean that figuratively Marcel" She said knowing that he was going to take it that way but everyone seemed to be commenting on her hair lately.

Smiling faintly, Violet looked away to ignore the charm. "So you are on Mardi Gras duty? You always hated it when I put you on it when we ran this place together"

When the festival would happen, sometimes the vampires would get crazy due to the amount of people. Since the rule of feeding was on tourists, it opened up a playing field that got dangerous. Marcel would send out his closest people mostly Violet, Thierry and Diego to keep an eye on them and make sure nothing got out of hand.

"Oh trust me I would love to stand on my balcony, flash some people and get some beads but queen duties call which now makes me the watcher of everyone" She bit her lip wondering why she was still standing there talking to him.

Laughing, Marcel should have known she'd say something like that. "Maybe you still can…Look we have a lot to talk about and if it's alright with you…" He stopped once she turned her head to look at him. He could see that it pained her to be there. "If I could stop by your place later and we could talk about everything"

"I don't know about that…I really have nothing to say about everything and you left. What can I say that I never had the chance to?"

"You can't just bury it down because I'm staying in New Orleans for a while and there are things that we need to figure out. I'm sorry for what happened, I really am but I don't want to walk around here with an issue hanging over my head.

"Marcel?..." Violet was going to answer him but Hope's voice hung. She was leaning back to see them with a confused look on her face.

He paused for a moment then looked back at Violet. "Go help her, I gotta go see Vincent as he called me a while ago" Pushing herself off of the wall, she moved away from him and started walking out.

"So I'll see you later then?" He called out to her but she only glanced over her shoulder and kept walking.

Marcel shook his head heavily then moved over to Hope to answer her question. "She doesn't like me, does she?" She asked for a second. "I got Henry to calm down. I don't know if she was supposed to continue doing this or..."

"Violet doesn't like anybody" Marcel responded as reassurance. "I'll call Josh to come finish this. I'll make sure you get home and stay out of trouble. I know your Mom is missing but you can't do any magic. Right?"

He had been used to playing a father role for quite a while now. First it was Davina; it then turned to Aaliyah and Jordan and now onto Hope. She after all was a sister and he was going to protect her as much as he could. When he would go to Mystic Falls, Marcel would not only see the two of them but also pay a visit to Hope.

She hadn't answered him and instead gave a smile to now reassure him. "Hope I mean it. Freya is already doing something and I will help but I want you to stay out of it. Do we have a deal?"

"I hope you don't give those kids the same talk your giving me right now..." Hope said then took a deep sigh. "A deal is a deal" And even though Marcel believed her, she was lying to his face.

* * *

Violet had navigated her way through the witch grave as she liked to call it. She wasn't sure why Vincent had called but she assumed it was about Hayley. Looking around to see if anyone was around, it was completely silent as she stepped into the area where all the witches gathered.

"Uh, Vincent...I'm here" She called out and spun around in a circle. The room was dim as always and she nearly jumped when he came around the corner.

He faintly smiled before speaking. "I want you to meet someone, her name is Ivy"

Violet hadn't been aware that she was being called into some secret witch meeting. It had taken her by minor surprise but she watched the girl come around the corner and out behind Vincent. She was a beautiful girl with a tribal print dress, decorated in jewelry and had jet black hair.

Ivy had never formally met her but she knew exactly who she was. She had seen her with the vampires more than once and she believed she did well on her part of keeping peace between the different groups.

"Okay, what am I missing? No offence but I didn't think I was coming down here just to meet another witch. Do you need help with your float or something?" She joked faintly but their faces read otherwise.

"I needed to speak with you" The woman said and glanced over at Vincent for a moment. He nodded towards her to continue. "There is a presence in this city and it isn't going to be well for anyone. Hope Mikaelson is going to cause great pain and death to this city"

Silence had filled the air and Violet looked between them for a moment. She didn't say anything remembering when Marcel had told her something along those lines when she first arrived back. Witches always had a sense for things and she wasn't denying it. Hope was a dangerous girl in general as she held all three powers inside of her.

"I did a reading of tarot cards and things aren't looking good for our future. A witch had previously said it and I am really starting to believe it"

"I remember hearing about that once but nothing ever came out of it. Now that Hope is a teenager it of course would cause more concern but what's the evidence?"

Vincent had begun going into details about everything that happened. How Ivy had gave him a reading and the cards showed nothing but death and destruction. The thing he was most fearful about was that it didn't specifically show who, what and where. It was going to turn into guessing came on everything and everyone would be up and arms. Violet had listened carefully and believed everything he spoke because she trusted him enough.

"Well with Hayley missing and all..."

"Wait, Hayley has gone missing?" Vincent asked in which Ivy looked startled as well.

Violet nodded slowly figuring he already knew because of talk around the town. "What happened?"

With a faint shrug, she answered, "I have no idea. I was out in the bayou handling the case of Poppy's death when Marcel said Klaus claimed she's missing.

"Now Marcel is back too?"

She hadn't realized that no one told him that either. It was a good thing Violet was there to speak because he needed to know everything. She was going to tell him at some point that he had returned but she was caught up in a variety of different problems. Marcel was a problem she had to handle as there were many unsaid things between them and she was focusing on that along with Henry.

"Yeah...He and Rebekah are I guess done so he decided to come back home" Violet said looking away from them and fixing her gaze on a candle.

"Are you okay about that?" Vincent asked knowing their history. He had left her four years ago and Violet returned to New Orleans by herself. Besides Josh, he knew the whole story and how much it pained her.

Rubbing the back of her neck, she didn't have an answer. "What if I go try and talk to Klaus? I don't know about what but see how Hope is. I just ran into her before I came here but Marcel has the situation handled from what I know"

Both Ivy and Vincent had looked towards each other to discuss it. There wasn't much to do to begin with because Hope was going to do what she wanted in the end. Even though it was a concern for the city, they needed to speak with a Mikaelson before anyone else.

* * *

Violet knew they were agreeing on the idea so it was her time to go find Klaus. She assumed he would be at the compound and that was always the first place to look. She was glad that they lived so close because she wanted to go home after all this was over and take a long, hot bath to calm down. She had too much to do and she just wanted a moment to herself.

Passing her own apartment, she swung around the corner to make sure that her purple prized possession was sitting in the driveway behind it. Violet wished she had taken the Ferrari on her adventure but she was occupied that she didn't even think to take it when she left for the bar that morning.

Grabbing the gate to the compound, she stepped inside and looked both directions seeing if he was around. Hearing something fall upstairs, she zipped that way and stopped in the doorway when she saw Klaus standing in a bedroom. Violet didn't notice it was Hope's until she saw all the decorations. That room would have been a spare one when she lived there.

"I'm not in the mood for a little visit" Klaus said as he was sitting on Hope's bed staring towards the balcony. He turned his head to look at her and his stare wasn't friendly.

"Your point being what? I didn't even know you were in the city until Marcel said you called him. Good thing Caroline was in France huh?"

"Right, you heard how my sister decided to break his heart...It's a shame, isn't it?" He asked knowing that it would irritate her. The hybrid hoped that it would be enough to get her to leave.

Violet instead scoffed at the remark and walked over to him. Plopping down next to him, she looked out the window as well. They sat in silence for a few minutes. "Look, the witches learned something about Hope and I said that I'd come talk to you about it"

When he heard his daughters name he snapped his head in her direction. Violet knew he was staring so she slowly turned her head to look at him, their faces inches apart. "Hope is going to take this city down and destroy everything in it"

He hadn't said anything and just stared at her. Smirking slightly Klaus found it amusing. "And you being the Queen of this city ran down here to tell me, correct?"

He didn't let Violet get any kind of word in before leaning forward, wrapping his hand around her throat and slamming her onto the bed. Taken by complete surprise, she tried fighting him off as usual but Klaus just hovered over her.

"What the hell Klaus! Let go of me!" She coughed out, clamping her eyes shut out of pain.

"I've had enough of you people trying to hold my daughter against me. Those witches just want her to be dead due to her nature. I'm not going to let anything happen to her"

What Violet didn't know was that Klaus was leaning towards his breaking point. He was distraught that Elijah wasn't around and it was pushing him over the edge. The issue of the Hollow between he and Hope was pushing him as well because it had been too long since they had saw each other. On top of it was Hayley missing and no one was able to locate her. Klaus was reverting back to his paranoid self and started to think that everyone was out for he, his family and most importantly his daughter.

The younger vampire had placed her hands on his upper arms in order to shove him off. With his hand tight around her neck, his hips holding her body down there wasn't anything that Violet could do. Klaus cocked his head looking her over before removing his hand and shifting off of her.

Sitting up quickly, she was holding her throat before narrowing her eyes at him. "I'm on your side with this! I only told them that I would come tell you the issue so you would know. I'm not against you Klaus, I haven't been for years"

Taking a few steps back from her, he continued to stare at her and didn't say anything. He figured she was going to yell at him and he didn't mean to take any anger out on her.

Moving her hand from her neck, Violet stood up and sighed before fixing her tank top. She knew what he was going through due to their little mini vacation years prior. She didn't know how much he was struggling but she could have guessed.

"I get it; you don't have your brother and can't talk to your daughter so you are going to take it out on everyone else. I got left in a town that I didn't even know, had Josh come get me because Marcel ran off to be with Rebekah. It's hard, we struggle but we have to carry on for other people in our lives. I thought I was able to get to you in Moscow but here you are still spiraling. Tomorrow, I am sending vampires out for Hayley, I am going to help these wolves and I will keep my eye on Hope. Now, I'm going home before you decide to freak out again"

Taking a breath after her long speech, Violet looked him over once then turned on her heel to leave. It had felt like the longest day she had in a while between meeting a variety of people, handling children and now dealing with Klaus's rage.

"I can't take care of her..." He said aloud as she was walking away.

Stopping near the doorway, she licked her lips not knowing what to say. "Freya will figure out a way to end this Hollow thing and everything will be okay. For now, I suggest not leading anyone to a room just to attack them" She joked which he knew made Klaus smirk before zipping away and to her home.

* * *

Violet found all of her peace once she found herself back in her apartment. Night had fallen which meant the Quarter had been a little bit quieter and she could have the time to herself. After putting an old record on, she changed into a dark red robe and sat on the edge of the bathtub in order to take the bath she wanted.

Standing up in order to hop in, her vampire hearing picked up a knock at the door. Looking towards the ceiling, she huffed loudly and turned the water off. Retying her robe, she went to the spiral stairs and jogged down them when the knock got louder.

"I'm coming, hold on a second!" Violet didn't know who it was as she really wanted the night to calm down. Unlocking the door, she whipped it open.

Marcel blinked when she opened the door and smiled. "Cute...I didn't think you'd look like this when I showed up"

"Trust me, I wasn't planning on this. What do you want?" She was holding onto the door and he asked if he could come in. Rolling her eyes, she moved out of the way then shut it when he got inside.

"Nice place...I went to Rousseau's to ask Josh where you were. I thought you were still in the penthouse. When did you move here?"

Pulling her hair out of the buns, she ruffled her blonde locks glancing at him. "Let's see...You always knew I hated that place and the last thing I would want to do is live there considering all our memories and my own death. I got this apartment shortly after coming home"

Marcel had looked to his left to see the kitchen and dining area. It was a nice open space that interjected into the living area which had balcony. The main door was at the back of the home so he was standing next to an extra room.

Violet began walking towards the stairs that were centered in the middle of the room and went up them. He didn't want to follow her but he didn't have a choice because he didn't know what she was doing. Following her, the second floor belonged solely to her with her bedroom, a large walk in closet and her own private bathroom.

"Um…What are you doing?" He asked and she peered out from the bathroom.

"You came to talk so I know this won't be a short visit. I'm letting the water I just put in the bath in order to take one" Plugging the plug, they both listened to the water go down the drain before she popped out again. "Go ahead and be nosey, I live here by myself"

Smirking at her, he glanced around the room in order to get a better feel. It was filled with old antiques and purple items scattered all over. Her bed was to his left, the bathroom was to the right and the closet was all the way in the back. Another balcony filled the top and looked like any other building in the Quarter.

Violet had looked him over as he wandered around before sitting on the bed still watching. Grabbing her brush, she brushed through her hair waiting him to talk first.

"So how's New York?" She decided to break the silence.

He had been looking at a few pictures she had on the wall, filled with a variety of different people but close friends. "It's not New Orleans. I got a penthouse there so it isn't that much different besides the culture"

Nodding faintly, she now turned her attention towards the balcony. "What is it that you want? I get that you two are broke up or whatever but I'm not here as the second choice because I'm done being that because it clearly didn't work the first time"

Turning away from the pictures, Marcel kept his distance. "We've been avoiding each other for four years. We go to those meetings separate, Aaliyah and Jordan spend time with us separately and it's been okay for you. I know what I did was wrong and I don't want there to be any kind of issue between us"

Pausing what she was doing, she felt that her ears were burning. Violet didn't want to be sitting there but she was trying her best to remain calm. "I sat here and waited for you. A day turned into a week, that turned into a month and then six months went by. Months turn into a year and you never came back. I waited thinking that I did something wrong, I hoped that you would step through this door and you never did. Instead, I hear from Freya Mikaelson that you are in New York with Rebekah. I don't want anything from you and I have been keeping the peace all these years"

Marcel knew that she was angry at him and he didn't blame her. When he disappeared, he knew what he did was wrong but the two needed to have space away from one another. He caught up to check n Rebekah and old feelings got in the way. He hadn't spoken to Violet whatsoever so he wasn't entirely sure what she had been doing.

"I get it, you hate me and what I did but it's time that we move past all of it. I'm not with her anymore, she left me standing in city hall looking like an idiot might I add and turned me down"

Shaking her head heavily, she rose to her feet slowly. "You look like an idiot? I looked like a fool ever since you turned me thinking that you could love me but you were always in love with someone else. If you would have asked me four years ago to marry you…" She stopped talking because she could hear her voice crack. Violet was seething with anger but it was more hurt than anything else. "I would have said yes so it looks like you asked the wrong girl. Please leave"

Throwing the brush onto the bed she began walking towards the bedroom once again. There was a part of her that hoped he'd follow because she wanted to continue arguing. There was a lot more she wanted to say but she needed to gain her composure.

Not answering or following, Marcel began to realize how bad the situation was. He tried contacting her many times during their silent period but she did everything in her power to ignore. Violet stopped outside of the doorway and watched him, waiting for him to go back down the stairs and out the door.

A scream had broken out from outside which made Marcel and Violet turned their head sharply to the balcony. They both made their way to it quickly and she fumbled with the lock. Standing outside, she leaned against the railing and looked towards the group of people standing on Bourbon Street.

"That's Hope…" Marcel commented and Violet looked between him and the group.

Both vampires had rushed from the balcony, ran down the stairs and all the way outside and down to the group. They couldn't see what the people were looking at from her apartment but now they saw exactly what it was. Hope had been in front of everyone holding her tears back. Marcel moved her out of the way then looked towards Violet. She had been tying her robe tighter, stepped forward and noticed Henry's body handing from one of the building. His skin grey and blood covering his body.


	24. Violet's Got Issues

**~~Thank you for the review as always! I really appreciate the feedback! Anywho, Violet will continue to be standoffish towards Marcel due to the hurt she is feeling. There will be more conversations about it so don't worry. As for Aaliyah and Jordan going to New York, there is a reason Rebekah has not been mentioned during it and it will be spoken at some point during the next chapter…I just didn't reveal it yet. AND NOW THE SHOW IS OVER. R.I.P~~Reanna.**

Josh had closed the bar for the day into order to solve all their problems at once. Violet had been making herself a drink that Josh taught her while he sat at one of the tables in the middle of the room.

"You sure you don't ever want me to bartend? I'm getting pretty damn good at it" She said with a smile walking over to him.

"I heard about your cooking and I don't want to know about your drinks" He answered while writing something down on paper. "You seem a little too happy this morning...Did you have a nice night with you know who..."

Violet had told that Marcel stopped by when they saw Henry's dead body. They had a few things to discuss and she filled him in on everything she knew. Giving him a glare, she took a drink then shook her head, she made it too strong.

"No I didn't. I tried kicking him out but of course he wanted to stay...Okay so moving onto a different topic. Who was on guard duty over that kid? I promised that I would put a vampire on watch to make sure he's safe and instead he's hanging on a balcony in my city"

Josh had talked to a few vampires before meeting with her to see what he could figure out. "That's the thing, no one knows. I sent out Bradley and now he's nowhere to be found. He's either in with who did it, was the one who ripped his heart out or is dead"

Rubbing her face, Violet sat back and took a large sigh. Everything was still spiraling and she had no idea what to do. Taking on the responsibility of the city was harder than she actually expected but she wasn't giving up.

"Okay so..." She stopped to take another drink. "So we got Hayley missing, Klaus and Marcel back in town, Henry dead, vampires with hearing problems and Mardi Gras...Am I missing something?"

As all problems were urgent, it was the worst time with New Orleans getting ready to celebrate which meant many more people in the city than usual. Josh nodded in agreement writing something else down. "What are we going to do about Hayley? Have you talked to the wolves at all?"

"Oh please don't remind me because I will be seeing one once they discover the vampire I put to guard him is gone and I'm the one in charge" That also needed another drink. "I still don't know where to start. I mean, Freya and Klaus are on the job but what can I do. I want to do something but it's not like I'm about to follow Scooby Snacks to a clue"

"You're spending too much time watching those cartoons again" Josh had joked. When Aaliyah would come to the city, Violet got stuck watching cartoons with her. He always found it amusing to see her, a hundred and some years old watching a child's program.

Finishing her drink with the shake of her head, she was glad it was gone. "Do you have a clue on where to start looking for her?"

"I think I might have an idea…" Marcel had come through the front door and was shutting it slowly. That made Violet roll her eyes in response and regretted drinking all that she had. Josh turned in his seat to see him and knew that there was going to be trouble, mostly when he heard Violet answer him back.

"Congratulations...If my memory serves me right you don't run this place anymore. I do along with Josh so no one here needs your assistance"

Crossing his arms, he slowly approached the table they were at. "No offense Vi but it doesn't look like you're doing a good job of it. Hayley missing is the first of your worries and you're lucky I'm here"

"Oh I am? I'm sorry but weren't you the one who ditched me in Mystic Falls for the Mikaelson tramp?" There was so much hurt within Violet that she couldn't help it. Her emotions were going to range between both every time she saw him. "Right, I picked up the pieces that you left behind so I don't need your help for anything"

"This has nothing to do with Rebekah. I get it, you hate me for everything but I told you that we are through and what happened, happened. What do you want from me? An apology?"

Josh had been flicking his head between them listening. He had known everything that happened considering he just spent three years with Violet. It was bound to happen and he knew that they were both holding back on saying things.

Scoffing, Violet rose slowly out of her seat. "You think an apology is going to fix this? You abandoned me! I get that we were not working together at all but I sat here thinking I did something wrong and that you would come back. Did you? Did you even think of me?"

"Guys! I know that you two have a lot to discuss but let's bring this back to Hayley. Okay?" Josh had jumped up swiftly in order to stop them. It wasn't going to be an all-out war. "I called Marcel. I called him for help so he could talk to Klaus first"

"Right, Joshua needs our help" It was now time for Klaus to pop up from the back door. He strolled in with a faint smirk on his face. "Hope you don't mind love"

Violet had turned her attention towards him then slowly sank back in her chair. She wasn't mad or angry with Josh, she was mildly irritated. There was a thought in her that wanted to prove she could figure the problem out on her own and rub it in their faces.

"Whatever...What do you two know that we don't?"

Marcel spoke first. "That new group of vampires is a nightmare for you, right?" He waited and she shook her head yes. "They don't like wolves or should I say hybrids for that matter. They hate me because I've got venom and it's obvious they have their hands in this"

"Freya had attempted a location spell but they have a witch on their side. She could only figure out a larger section of this city so I suggest getting a group of vampires to storm the place" Klaus said glancing between the two men before looking towards Violet.

Thinking it over, she now shook her head no. "No, I'm not going to do that. You know why? Because I've got a dead kid on my hands in which a vampire was supposed to be protecting him. What area are you talking about?"

The both answered Treme at the same time which made them exchange a look. Staying silent again, she was thinking of the best thing she could do. "Here's my plan, Josh sticks in the Quarter to keep his ears on the vampires. You two go to the Treme area and poke around, see if you find anything. I'll go as well with my own backup plan"

"Why don't you just come with us?" Marcel asked wondering what she was talking about.

"Because I want to be far away from you. Does this sound like plan?"

"Why don't you just kill them all? It would be the less of your worries and I'm sure you'd benefit from it, get some of that pent up anger out" Klaus couldn't help but make a smart comment.

Standing up, she pulled out her phone and began typing. "Let me know if you find anything...Actually, you two get caught up I'm sure you'll get out one way or another" Violet had stepped away from the bar and out to the Treme.

* * *

Violet had been waiting in a neighborhood in the Treme for Vincent Griffith. He was a Treme witch after all and believed he would be the most help. She didn't understand how Marcel didn't think of it first but she was glad he didn't. Violet wanted to figure out the location before the two in order to prove she knew exactly what she was doing.

She had been toying around on her phone before she heard a car in the distance. That prompted her to look up and see it slow down, she knew it was him. "My favorite witch in the whole city has arrived' Violet said watching him step out from his black car.

"Flattery is going to get you nowhere" Vincent answered back and stepped onto the sidewalk next to her. "This place along with the next block is empty so I say we start looking through this houses. I can do some magic if we find anything"

The witch and vampire had begun walking at the same time looking around. It was dead silent except for the wind and some birds, a good enough place to start. "I thought you were bringing Klaus and Marcel with you" He asked looking over at her.

"Klaus is having an attitude over Hope and his missing one night stand. Marcel on the other hand can go back to New York and wallow in his pity there" She said sharply slipping the phone in her leather jacket.

Vincent knew that once the two were around one another it was going to be a nuclear war. Violet was never good at containing herself or emotions and he was hoping that it wasn't going to get the best of her. There was trouble brewing and he didn't want that to play another factor in the mess.

"Everything's good right? Klaus can't step anywhere near Hope and I'm sure that's hard for him to deal with. At the same time your past is coming to give you trouble...You need to see Ivy"

Glancing in his direction, she was still typing away on her phone. "What is she gonna do? Put a love spell on me?"

Shaking his head with a faint laugh, they were still walking down the sidewalk. "Let her read you some tarot cards, it may predict something to help you. I know you compared to most people Violet and you can't carry this hurt and anger with you anymore, especially with Marcel being back"

It really didn't sound like that bad of idea actually. She had been fighting everything for three years and it was now rising more to the surface than ever. Violet however wasn't going to say anything or agree at the moment. Something had caught her and she lowered her phone, stopped in her tracks and looked around.

Vincent continued on then stopped once he noticed she wasn't next to him. "What is it? You hear something?"

Shaking her head, Violet put her phone away and walked in a complete circle. "There's blood somewhere, I smell it...I think it's that house. It hit me suddenly but it's coming from like three places in a row"

Zipping off, she made her way to her left to the first house, the place where it came from. The witch had to run after her as she was opening the door. "Sorry, forgot you're not a vampire" She said with a cheeky smile then stepped inside. "Really..."

Klaus and Marcel had been standing in front of her, their backs facing her until she spoke. "Perfect timing...Have you found Hayley?" It was Klaus who asked.

"No, Vincent and I just got here and I for some reason smell blood which I know you both do as well. Lucky us, we've got a full house"

Each team so to speak stood on opposite sides before Violet took it upon herself to push past them and it led her to an empty room. There had been a chair in the middle and she grabbed it before dropping it. "Vervain and wolfsbane, at least we know there was a hybrid here which means Hayley"

Everyone else had walked inside and began scanning the room as well. Klaus had paused reading something on the wall before zipping out. Looking at the writing on the wall in blood, Violet walked up towards Marcel and looked towards him.

"Looks like you got a target on your back. See, I told you that whole venom thing from Lucien would bite you in the ass"

Marcel looked down at her with a glare. "It could shut you up in two seconds" That got a glare at him now and she turned to face him

"Can you guys not argue I'm trying to do a spell here" Vincent commented bending down to the chair. He was hoping that he could do some sort of location spell in order to find her but his concentration was breaking because of them.

Violet placed her hands on her hips and stepped closer to hi, ignoring Vincent. "Do it, you did it once so do it again. Go ahead, get rid of me then you can live your happy life in New York but make sure to tell the kids you killed me"

The only reason he was being smart back was due to the attitude she was giving him. He still wanted to talk to her and make things right but with the way she was acting there was no way Marcel could. "Will you stop bringing up Rebekah? She's not here and has nothing to do with any of this. You and I have problems that we need to fix and I get that. Maybe if you drop this attitude we could start somewhere"

"Guys!" Vincent had yelled at them trying to get their attention. He had just hung up the phone and need them to hear him out. It had worked just like Josh did earlier and they both turned to him. "We've got a real big problem on our hands. Klaus is starting up trouble and he took a wolf, a witch and your boy Josh"

* * *

Violet had let Marcel handle the situation because he would have an easier time with Klaus than she had. She always wasn't sure if he was going to snap and he really didn't want to get into a bigger mess. It had taken hours of her waiting with Vincent nervously and keeping her eyes on the other vampires but everything had ended up working out fine...Only for the vampires.

Marcel tried to get Klaus to a level headed spot but it was Klaus Mikaelson after all. By the time things got to be resolved, there had been a dead witch named Colette and dead wolf named David. It was only going to cause more friction that she didn't need and it was time she had to handle that.

Violet spent her time going down to the Bayou in order to speak with the werewolves. Of course they were not happy but there was a mutual ground between the groups. One reason was due to the Gerard-Badeaux children as they were part Crescent and that gave her a faint pass. Second she grew to accept them though she still was cautious of wolves but ignored her problems with them. They seemed to put a trust in her because she had actually been giving them credit since she took over the city. Violet knew there needed to be a mutual ground and she was giving them just that.

That now led her back over to the witches but Vincent was the one speaking with them. No one in any party was thrilled about Klaus returning but there wasn't anything she could do. Since Josh had been down for the count, she had to do all the work by herself as she was still distancing from everywhere. Violet over watched the witches and chimed in when she needed even though they were still all skeptic of the situation.

Once he was done, most of the New Orleans witches shook their head in irritation, said a few words out loud which rubbed Violet the wrong way then disappeared. She had been gripping the bridge of her nose when he turned to speak to her.

"I got to hand it to you yet again, doing this all by yourself. I know it isn't easy trying to make amends between everyone and Klaus Mikaelson is the one to blame. With Mardi Gras around the corner..."

She held her hand up to stop him. "Please don't remind me of that. The float still isn't finish and I have yet to decorate my own apartment for the occasion. Call me if another problem pops up, I have to go check on Josh"

Before she could turn away Vincent stopped her. "You know while you are already out here, you should speak to Ivy. Give it a chance; see what she has to say"

Violet couldn't protest because he already began walking away from her to led her where the female witch was. Of course it was held in the witch cave as she liked to call it. Vincent always spent time in there with the lit candles and she felt it was a cave.

Ivy had been sitting there in a colorful dress that was probably bought in the French Quarter and had some gold jewelry that decorated her arms. Most NOLA witches had a signature look and that apparently was it. She had been shuffling some cards and Violet now wondered if Vincent had this ready from the get go.

"Vincent tells me you wanted my help in a tarot card reading" She said then pointed to the chair in front of the table she was. "Trust me, I don't mind"

Sitting down, Violet glanced towards Vincent who said he was stepping out so she could have privacy. "You know, I honestly didn't know you could actually predict things from this. I went to a reader or whatever it's called in Hungary when I went there and I didn't believe a word she said...What am I supposed to do anyway? Pick a card?"

Spreading the deck out, Ivy had explained what she had to do. She was doing a simple reading that would help her understand but with a little magic in it. Four cards would represent Violet and what she has ahead of her. The magic cast will tell the truth so it would have a greater affect than usual.

"The picks should come natural to you so pick four cards" Ivy said but Violet was still remaining skeptic. Nothing jumped out to her so she picked cards that were at least separated by five.

Flipping it over, she looked it over then studied it. Ivy knew exactly what she was doing and wanted to make sure this was right. "The seven suit of wands says you're feeling defensive over something, you are overwhelmed. You are overwhelmed with the challenges in your life and want to focus on something else instead of them. You're comparing yourself to someone and it's hurting your self-esteem. Is this fitting?"

Once the question was asking, the card had caught on fire and quickly burned to ash. It made Violet leaned away from the table and cross her arms. Licking her lips, she didn't want to answer but it seemed that the magic had done the trick.

"If taking on the city wasn't overwhelming I would be decorating my place right now. What does the next one say?" She was curious yet fearful at the same time.

Sliding the next card towards her, Ivy did the same before speaking. "8 suit of cups reversed again..." Her last card had been reversed as well. "This means you want to abandon something in search for something else. You know when to walk away from something that isn't working in your favor and you are having trouble being trapped in one spot. Is this you?"

Placing her elbows on the table, Violet couldn't believe what she was hearing. She nodded faintly and now there were more ashes forming on the table. It was terrifying to hear the things she had been going through and feeling.

"I get you're not psychic or anything but you can't tell me anymore?"

"It's what the cards are meaning; I'm not making this up. The magic allows you to find the right cards in the pile which will help whatever trouble you are in. You self-consciously picked them"

Nodding again, she braced herself for the next on, the three suit of swords. "This represents a variety of things such as grief, heartbreak, loneliness and separation. It's painful because it came up unexpected and you have gone through more than one"

Before she could finish, the card had made greater flames in which both girls nearly jumped at. Ivy had looked around for something to put it out with but Violet reached forward and threw her hand on it. It had burned and hurt but it would heal in only a matter of seconds. As she went to continue on, Ivy noticed something burnt onto the wooden table. "A moon, a crescent moon and it looks like an ML next to it. Actually it looks like a fleur de lis in the back"

Violet had been rubbing her hand until in healed before leaned forward as fast as she could. After staring at the wood, she leaned back and placed her hand over her mouth. "Moonlight, it was Aaliyah nickname and what she named her bear. I gave them pendants of that symbol...What's going on?"

She stood up to get Vincent because Ivy honestly had no idea. Violet took it upon herself to flip over the last card and called out. "What does this card do?"

The two witches had come back inside and looked between her and the table. "It's the Fool, the beginning or end of the deck" Ivy stopped to ask Vincent but Violet wanted her to continue on. "It means a new beginning. You want to live to the fullest and start over"

Even though the messages were obvious, Violet wasn't giving any truth or story to the card. They all were correct and it was something that she had to face whether she wanted to or not. Many thoughts had come into her mind throughout the years and it was something she kept to herself. It was scary to realize that her thoughts where possibly going to come true and she didn't want to face or think about it at the moment.

Vincent had pondered on what that meaning was but before he could figure it out, Violet was gone.


	25. Falling Apart at the Wrong Places

**~~Sorry for a super long update! I hadn't been able to write a lot because of my work schedule but I promise to get more of these out. Trust me, I miss the show more than anything and I wish I could update quicker like before. Fear not, this whole thing is just getting started~~Reanna.**

 _New Orleans, three years ago._

 __ _Violet had been in the elevator trying to process everything. She had just returned after a week in Mystic Falls at the Salvatore Boarding School and now she was home. Her only problem was that she returned home by herself._

 _She called Josh in order for him to come get her because she didn't know where Marcel went. They decided to go their separate ways for a while because they weren't getting on the same page. She figured he needed space for a few days and he'd come back but he didn't. Instead she rode with Josh mostly in silence back to New Orleans; the only noise was her breaking._

 _As the elevator door dinged and opened, Violet slowly walked towards the doors of the penthouse. She dug into her bag for the keys and turned the lock but didn't open the door. There was something she was slowly realizing and it wasn't what she wanted to face. Instead she pushed herself through the door but left it open._

 _Glancing around the place, Violet was hit with a thousand thoughts that ran through her head. It ranged from people, to memories to places. There was something that came over her and it was out of a place of rage._

Violet had been trying her best to keep her mind off of the card reading by doing anything she could. It was scary to her because there was a truth hidden within all of them. She really thought it was going be a waste and harmless at that but things proved to be wrong.

She was supposed to pick four cards but the three already killed her inside. Having the weight of the city on her shoulders was her priority right now rather than worry about her future through a card trick. Violet knew she wasn't qualified to do the job exactly like Marcel could but there wasn't anyone else who would step up. Josh wanted it as well but knew his own inexperience wouldn't help anyone.

It should be a surprise to many that she wasn't all that great at it but in Violet's defense she had been the background pawn. She followed Marcel's orders and did what was needed. Of course she benefitted watching everything but she wasn't doing anything wrong. It just seemed like too much to take on and Violet didn't like it at all.

The werewolves were hardly a problem as she listened to them more so than she did before. It was due to Aaliyah and Jordan but she had no choice if she wanted to run the city peacefully. The witches were never a problem because she had close ties to Freya and Vincent. It was a surprise to her that the vampires were harder than expected because of this new group that constantly challenged her.

Pouring some blood into her tea like she enjoyed occasionally, Violet sat down on her couch and listened to the silence. The place had no noise and the only sound she could pick up on was all the people down on Bourbon Street. The first floor looked pretty much like a loft's floor plan with everything open and just a few little walls to separate the kitchen and living area. Violet honestly enjoyed the home but she wanted someone or something to share it with.

Hearing footsteps come around the side, she wondered if it was Josh but he always went to the front door. Every time she entered she took the back way but he seemed to wait at the window and wait until she answered the door. Violet figured it would be Marcel but one she reached the door she ended up staring at a letter at her feet.

 _Josh's Loft, 1 PM. Be there._

She had to get herself ready because apparently the letter was important. Of course no one was calling her back and she had reached out to everyone. Something must have been up and Violet wondered if it had something to do with Hayley. It was very mysterious and troubling but she was the Queen and even she had rules to follow.

Driving to Marcel's old loft, there were no other cars and the only thing that stood out was her famous purple car. Now feeling more on guard, she couldn't help but wonder if it was some sort of a set up as it seemed suspicious. Things took a left turn when she began to step through into the living area and were faced with three people.

"Finally, you're only about twenty minutes late" Marcel spoke turning his attention towards her.

Making a face at him, Violet spoke. "Well you know if you sent a text I would have been here quicker but apparently you want to send a letter. Keep up with tech Marcel...What's going on?"

"Says the girl who constantly writes me letters. We need to have a talk with everyone"

Lisina and Greta had been standing across from Marcel looking at her. Both women stood there with their arms crossed clearly in mood. Violet had no idea what she was walking into but there was one thing on her mind, when did he get to call the shots?

"Who are we?" Greta asked then turned her attention between the former couple. Lisina seemed more interested on what was going on because she wondered if something big was going on. "If you two are working together I'd like see how well that's going to work out"

Violet stepped over towards the others and took her place near Greta. She was still angry at her for the other night but she did want to stick to the vampire side. Giving her the side eye, she crossed her arms letting Marcel deal with her attitude.

"Klaus wanted me to get all of you together so no, we are not a team right now. Well in all honesty we have to act like one in order to find Hayley" Hearing a scoff come from the vampire, Marcel paused staring intently at Greta. "Something funny to you?"

"Still running on his heels…" She took a few steps towards him and looked him over. "Marcel Gerard, former king of New Orleans. You are a self-made legend with werewolf venom coursing through your veins yet you are still under the control of the Mikaelson family"

He shifted his eyes towards Violet who had been smirking at him. She knew that Greta or her vampire friends wouldn't listen to him either and it was going to be interesting to see him handle it. "Look, I've saw you maybe three times in my entire life so I don't know who you think you're talking to"

Lisina was waiting to speak up and checked her phone before putting it back in her pocket. "I got to get back out into the Bayou so what is this all about? Has Hayley been found or anything special news?"

Narrowing his deep brown eyes, Greta stepped back waiting for him to speak. There was no way she was going to help because she had been the one causing trouble. In her mind they were all too blind to notice it but this way she could keep tabs on everything going on in the city.

"Klaus wants to get all the factions of New Orleans working together to find Hayley. The wolves, vampires and witches need to come together and find her because I don't think things are looking good right now"

"Can I ask a question?" Violet asked. "Why did you have to get all of us down here to ask? Clearly I've been on the case and I'm sure the wolves have been as well. You don't have a witch here so I must be completely missing the point"

Shrugging faintly he looked between all the females. "Klaus asked me to do this and I agreed because I want to help as much as I can"

"Right…You want to get back on everyone's good side because you want to take this city by the reigns to take control" Greta now shifted her focus on Violet. "What are you going to do about it? You have been running this city without him; you are his true protégée to speak"

Greta had been making a point and Violet knew it. She had been under his wing long enough to develop his actions and understand how to run it. She just didn't have the will or experience to take care of everything. Not wanting New Orleans to begin it, it was something that Violet felt she had to do. It kept her mind off of her problems and she didn't want to see the city turn into a disaster.

"I know you would love to see me get out of here but I'm not going anywhere. He's not waltzing back in here just he has ran this place. What I say goes so I'm not going to play your little mind games Greta. You can think what you want but you are still answering to me"

Both female vampires took a step towards each other and Lisina watched them. She wasn't going to get involved in vampire business so she looked at Marcel for him to intervene. He wouldn't do anything unless it was necessary but it seemed it was about to be. They were still firing words back and forth, getting close to exchanging blows and Violet went for the first punch.

Marcel now took it upon himself to stop them before things got serious. He launched forward and grabbed them both by the neck and it made the wolf jump back to a degree. "We get it, you two are never going to get along but we have a bigger problem on our hands"

Letting them go, Violet was beyond enraged and actually became embarrassed. Greta had fixed her jacket with irritation reading on her face and she cracked her neck. "Exactly my point…"

He cut her off quickly, "Hayley Marshall is in our number one spot right now and we need to find her. I don't think anyone in this room here had anything to do with it though some of us are acting pretty suspicious...I don't care what has to be done but she needs to be found"

"You know that the werewolves have been trying anything and everything to find her. With Henry dead and Hayley missing, I can't help but think the vampires are part of it" Lisina spoke still standing behind everyone.

They all looked at her but Violet had been smoothing her t-shirt down after Marcel decided to grab her. She spoke still focusing on her shirt, "I didn't' do anything to Hayley nor did the vampires. I would have no purpose; her kid goes to school with mine. I listened when she had wolf problems, I went to her wedding, and I babysat for her. I've done a lot for her and I wouldn't have a point in taking her hostage" She felt that she was being blamed and that the vampires were going to be the next targets.

"I'm not worried about you Violet…I'm worried about her" Her eyes flickered towards Greta who smirked in return.

"I have nothing to do with your precious Hayley Marshall so you all can think what you want. I may hate your kind and despise you but my hands have no blood on them" She held them up and looked between the other three. "If you'll excuse me I'd like to get back to my day so tell Klaus Mikaelson not to bother me anymore"

Non one said a word as she walked away. It was going to be a smoother conversation without Greta and one that Marcel and Violet wouldn't have to tip toe on. Both vampires didn't trust her and were careful of what to say. They both had their own thoughts on her but Greta seemed very suspicious from the beginning. She and a couple of vampires clearly didn't listen to Violet nor were they going to like Marcel.

Lisina stepped forward to where she was and Violet turned away to get a drink from the bar. She wasn't planning on worrying about Hayley all day but Klaus wasn't going to drop it. She had a few things for Mardi Gras to take care of and she had to check on the kids later. Pouring two drinks of Bourbon, she walked back over and held one towards the wolf.

"I don't really drink but thank you for the offer"

"Oh I'm sure you'll be drinking after today" Violet commented then held it out towards Marcel. He was honestly surprised at her gesture so he took the glass. They both took their drinks as he put the glasses back.

"The wolves want nothing to do with Klaus due to the fact of him slaughtering one of our own…We going to help find her but it's not going to be because of him" Lisina said which in fact was the cold stone truth.

Marcel nodded at her figuring nothing less. The witches probably weren't going to do anything to help but say they tried the entire time. "I appreciate it; I know she is the alpha of the pack and everything. Don't worry about those vampires; I'm sure Violet's got it under control. Right Vi?"

Violet had been staring out one of the windows remembering the view from the neighborhood. It was weird being in the French Quarter after being in the loft and penthouse for so long. It was always a nice view and she couldn't complain.

"Whatever you say Marcel…" She said in a tone that wasn't pleasant. "Are you okay? I'm sorry about Henry. I never got the chance to apologize; I really wanted to protect that kid"

The female had offered a faint smile towards the vampire. It was something unexpected to her and she really didn't have anything to say. It was a huge loss for her as she was the one raising him but they all had something in common. Losing Henry and David in the last few days were a major blow to the pack and they felt on defense against everyone.

"How are the other two? I know you've been having trouble with them lately" Lisina said referring to the adopted children.

Violet hesitated saying anything because she didn't want to really talk about it around Marcel. "You know exactly how they are. One's adjusted and the other doesn't want to be there and rebels. Jordan's had a tough life, I just wish he was more like his sister…I don't think he really likes me"

Marcel narrowed his eyes towards her finding this a surprise. Aaliyah and Jordan were able to hop into the other Crescent pack as they were still part of it. Even though their Mother's side had been wiped out, they were still part of them. Their family and friends were all gone but at least they had other werewolves that took them in. Lisina was very welcoming knowing about the tragedy and knew their Father personally. When in New Orleans, they had spent time out in the swamp living their wolf life while splitting their time with Violet.

"Anyway, it's nothing to worry about and I'll keep you posted. If you have any trouble with Greta or those other vampires come find me. I have no problem putting her down in the garden for a very long time"

Lisina agreed knowing that her vampires were going to be troublesome. They had spoken a little bit more before she had left. Violet had to stay back because she wanted and needed to talk to Marcel which he probably wasn't going to like.

"What's this about Jordan giving you trouble? I talked to him like you asked and he said he was over it" Marcel said watching the woman leave before looking at Violet. She had asked Josh to text Marcel while they kept their distance and she didn't want him to know her number.

"Nothing, you know he has anger issues, he's been that way since he was what, eight? Maybe you should spend time with him more than with your mistress"

Rolling his eyes, he should have known he was going to be the one to blame. "I did talk to him but what good is it going to do? Jordan's smart and he's going to lash out because of everything he's gone through. And if you think Rebekah is around them you can guess again. I kept away from her for you"

Pausing, she always figured that they were around her. Violet never asked too much about New York and she did occasionally but Aaliyah was always eager to tell her about the visits. She never wanted to bring up Rebekah because she couldn't care to hear about her.

He noticed the look on her face change and it honestly put something in perspective. When he left Mystic Falls, it did kill Marcel inside that he was leaving Violet but things happened. He still cared for her, still loved her and always would. Times changed and he pushed it away as the days went by.

"How did you manage to do that?" She asked.

"I'd figure out a way around it. Rebekah would either leave to go see Elijah or I just stayed someplace else. I knew you wouldn't want them around her so out of respect for you I did that. She doesn't know about these kids, no one in that family does besides Freya and Hope. I asked them to keep it quiet"

Violet's face had a soft thankful look but it was still masked with hurt. She couldn't help but feel it as vampires' emotions were always heightened and her heart was shattered. "Can I ask you a question?" He nodded slowly to her. "Why did you come back? Was it really because you missed this city? Or did you think that I'd take you back because Rebekah is gone?"

There was a point to her asking because she had a reason to lure this into the conversation she wanted. Before Marcel could get a word out Violet continued on, "Last time I checked I ran this place and for you to try and overstep me isn't going to work. You showed off to the vampires of this city long enough and now it's my turn. You came here to get New Orleans back because you lost everything, this city, your girlfriend and the ride or die who has been at your side for ninety some years. You need to check your ego because I'm not putting up with it. Not now and not later"

Marcel had no idea where this change of personality was coming from. He knew she was referring to earlier when he grabbed her and Greta but things would have taken a crazy turn if he didn't do anything. Sure he didn't have to grab either one but Marcel was doing what he wanted.

"I came back here to…" Violet raised her hand to stop him again.

"You came here to run this city because you knew I had it. You have nothing Marcel, you lost everything and you expected me to carry on and hand it over. Well guess what, you do that again I won't back down. I'm not going to let you embarrass me in front of Lisina, Greta or anyone else for that matter. This isn't your city anymore and I'm not being pushed aside again"

"You just know me so well, don't you?" Marcel had more to say but she shushed him once again.

Crossing her arms, she looked him up and down before turning on her heel walking away. He reached out and grabbed her wrist spinning her around.

"I'm done with this. Stop trying to lure me back in to get on your good side. Go help Klaus with Hayley because you just lost your biggest ally. You know how to run the place so go use your skills and find her because I'm not helping any one of you"

"This isn't us Violet, you know that. Every single time I try to talk to me you come at me and stop me when I need to say something. You really think Jordan's acting out just because of his parents being murdered? No it's because of the way we are acting, mostly you"

Scoffing, she yanked her wrist back. "Me? Fine, blame me. I let you go, I never stopped you and I never reached out. Why? Because I loved you enough to let you be happy because apparently I didn't do that. Get the hell out of my city because by morning I will hunt you down myself'

 _Moving into the room, she flipped the couch as hard as she could. Violet moved onto the coffee table and kicked through it to break it down completely._

 _She tore apart the chairs and ripped everything off the bookshelf. Shoving that down, she moved towards the bedroom. Tearing the drawers open, she tossed the clothes and ripped them apart. She didn't care if it was her own stuff, Violet had emotions pent up that were needed to be taken out. The curtains were next and the bed was the last thing. She stared at it remembering the times she shared with Marcel, the bed she died on. She could feel a tear slip from her eye as she made her way to shredding it._

 _Violet wouldn't settle for being the second choice and that broke her inside. She couldn't do it, there was nowhere in her mind that would allow it. Freya told her once she arrived home about the situation and she couldn't handle it._

 _Moving back out into the living area, she was breathing heavily and realized she forgot another case that was filled with books and random figures. She zipped over and kicked it over letting everything on it shatter. The glass that didn't break she grabbed and squeezed it, allowing the pieces to crumble._

 _"Violet?" Josh called out running inside. She had ran away from he and Freya and with his vampire hearing he could hear what was going on._

 _He saw her sitting on her knees, crying out loud. It was something he never saw her do but there was so much she had been feeling at once. Josh quietly approached her and she raised her head. Violet's hands had been stained with blood due to the glass cutting into them but the wounds already healed._

 _Gathering herself, she wiped her cheeks with her forearm and rose to her feet. Looking back at Josh, she looked a mess but didn't care. Her mascara had run down her face, she wiped her hands in her jeans and took a long deep breath. It wasn't the last time she was going to lash out as she had many more moments to come. That time however, she broke and rose up from her shattered mess and carried on the only way it made sense, take control of the city._


	26. Celui qui n'est pas avec moi est

_Celui qui n'est pas avec moi est contre moi "_ He who is not with me is against me"

After her run in with Marcel, Violet needed a long break. It was getting ridiculous to her on how much she had been losing control. She had everything in the palm of her hand years before but all of a sudden everything had begun slipping.

It was getting harder for her to keep everything under control and she wasn't going to let Marcel stomp all over her plan. Even though she still had respect for him doing all of that for the city, she wasn't going to be pushed aside.

Most of the vampires respected her and listened, it was just that selective group that didn't agree with her. Greta and her vampires were causing constant problems and Violet didn't know what to do about it. She honestly wanted to just kill all of them but what would that show of her? Everyone would probably assume she had gone into her ripper phase and she didn't want that reputation coming back. It was a surprise to herself that she didn't revert to it while heartbroken but she didn't.

"So what's this I hear about Hayley? Are you really not going to help?" Josh had called her after catching wind on Bourbon Street about what happened.

"No I'm not going to just give up. I like to give Marcel the idea that I am. She's a big part of the wolf community and if I quit you think I'll hear the end of it? I'll still do my digging but you have to keep quiet. I told him he's getting out of the city by tomorrow morning"

Violet had gone back to her apartment ready to map out the next layer of everything. She wasn't going to worry about the Mikaelson's or Marcel for the rest of the day. It was time to make a plan n Hayley and worry about how she was going to decorate her place for Mardi Gras. There wasn't much she could do over the missing wolf because there wasn't anything to go from. Violet could only do so much before things got repetitive and she had enough vampires on the case. Balancing the phone between her ear and shoulder blade, Josh was the first person she had to call. She was pouring a whole blood bag into a tall glass because she was ready to drown into it. Preferably she wanted to rip into a human's neck but she was trying her best to keep that number low. While in mid drink, her front door had flew open and she nearly spit the drink out of surprise.

"Sorry…" Josh said closing the door and hanging up his phone. She slid her phone off and hung up as well. "You told Marcel he needs to leave? What were you thinking?"

It was too much scandal for Josh not to step into. "Damn right I did. He's not coming back here and thinking he can boss the vampires around or me. You want to know what he just did like a half hour ago? He decided to attack me due to the fact that I was arguing with Greta. Who does he think he is?"

"King of New Orleans apparently. I got word on the street that the vampires were getting bosses around and I knew that it couldn't be you because I would have known first. Well actually Marcel stopped in the bar this morning"

Once again more trouble was brewing and it was staying right on the surface. The two vampires were not going to get along and it was a matter of just co-existing side by side. That is what they had been doing for years now despite both of them hating it fully.

"Make sure you pour him a drink to go" She said with a little bit of venom in her voice. Violet couldn't care anymore; she had enough to worry about. "Help me decorate this place"

Taking a few more quick drinks of blood, she rushed into the spared bedroom which was where the kids stayed. Pulling out two boxes, she had everything and anything full of purple, green and gold. Josh had rubbed the back of his neck confused on what was happening. Violet drug them out into the living area and stared at him.

"What? I haven't had time to do anything and I really want to get into the spirit already. I plan on standing on my balcony catching some beads if you don't mind to help Josh"

Agreeing, Josh bent down and grabbed some banners. He didn't mind helping he just had a few questions on his mind. It was either going to be a hit or miss because he knew exactly how Violet would handle the situation. Sitting on her couch, he grabbed some beads and started to go through them.

"Are you really going to kick him out?" Josh asked quietly.

Violet had been sorting through some things herself ranging from more beads, masks and ribbon. "Do you think Marcel is going to listen to me? I could chase him around town and he would still find a way to up me one. He needs to start thinking straight because I'm not dealing with him wanting a welcome home party when he abandoned it to begin with"

"Are you really mad because him trying to take the city back or the fact that he's here anyway?"

Violet had kept her head down and continued sorting. Josh wasn't unfamiliar to everything because he had been the one she mostly talked to about her problems. After all he was the one that helped her when she had a meltdown over Marcel leaving in the first place. With her emotions heightened, she couldn't help react but the way she did. She had lost her best friend, her boyfriend…She lost him to the girl she was constantly fighting.

"I don't want to talk about it" She said simply then stood up.

"Violet you have to because you don't want to end up where you were, right? You've done great for this city and I don't want to see everyone turn their backs on you" Josh said calmly reminding her of her old ripper ways. She had been okay for the most part but there was a time she slipped two years ago.

"Everyone is being dramatic. You, Vincent, Freya, I'm perfectly content if you all don't mind. You all act like I'm a high school kid that just broke up with her very first boyfriend. I'm fine"

"Well you pretty much did…" Getting a glare from her, she ripped the banner from his hand. It seemed like Violet had issues but hid them well and Josh wasn't blind to see it. She was a close friend of his as they ran the city almost together. He was only looking out for her and he didn't want something to happen.

Walking towards her front door, she whipped it open. "I'll decorate myself. Go check on the vampires and see if they found out anything about Hayley or see what Marcel's up to. I'm sure you'd love to give him a talk"

Going to protest, she ordered him out. Violet had problems trusting people due to what happened. There was something she had done which broke her heart more but she hadn't told anyone about it. She refused to talk about it most of the time as she didn't want to look weak. The main problem was the heightened emotions but it was something she dealt with. Being betrayed by her best friend hurt Violet more than anyone realized.

* * *

The next morning Violet had gotten up and looked around the room. The dark walls looked bare to her all of a sudden and she decided she'd decorate those with Mardi Gras colors as well. It would male her bedspread which of course was purple stand out and she wanted a calm day for once.

Going into her closet, she changed and put together a pretty good looking outfit. She wore black skinny jeans with rips in them then she paired with a loose white tank top with a lacy bra underneath to peek out. Violet grabbed a few necklaces, put them around her neck and fluffed her straight hair out.

Her box of decorations was still downstairs and she walked down there slowly. Making her way towards her kitchen, Violet noticed something out the corner of her eye. Lying on one of her brown counter tops was a black box and she knew for a fact that Josh didn't leave anything behind. Picking it up, she carefully opened it and threw it down when she saw what was inside.

Rushing to the compound, she needed to show someone and that someone had to be Klaus. Even if she bumped into Marcel she had to tell someone in relation to the Mikaelson's. Calling out his name, she held the box delicately in her hand and spun in a circle.

"Do you have to shout love?" Klaus stepped out from a bedroom on the upstairs and leaned against the railing. Marcel had trailed behind him yet kept his distance.

"Yes I do because I have something you need to see right now"

Both vampires had moved down the stairs at a not so fast pace and she moved towards the wine cellar. Tossing the box onto the table, she walked towards one of the chairs and leaned on it waiting for them to show.

Klaus and Marcel stood in front of the table and Violet pointed down to the box. "I sure as hell knew it wasn't a ring and I decided to open it…Go ahead, take a look"

Getting a side eye from Marcel, she made a face at him while Klaus reached forward. Popping the lid open, a piece of Hayley's skin with her birthmark covered in blood was the mystery object of the day. Violet studied their expressions before Klaus had walked out into the open area of the compound.

"Where are you going?" Marcel asked following him out along with Violet.

"Clearly someone is a threat by sending a piece of Hayley's skin as a message. I don't know where she is but I sure as hell intend to find out"

Klaus wasn't sure why they sent the message to Violet instead of himself. She was also confused on why she was chosen but at least they could end up pairing together. With Klaus's anger and paranoia that he had been feeling for the last few days wasn't looking good for the city. That was the reason Marcel had gone over there that morning was to check in on him.

"I get that you want your revenge more than anything but I'm not going to let you go massacre innocent people just to get Hayley back" Violet said pushing past Marcel in strides.

Whipping around, she could tell how stressed out he was. Violet didn't blame him however because Hope was going to be his main priority. She was back in Mystic Falls with Freya but it was only a matter of time that she returned back home.

"What are you going to do about it? Someone sends you a chunk of skin and what did you do about it? Did you send some vampires out to see who exactly sent it? This is your city so I would suggest coming up with a game plan"

He began walking away from her and Violet wasn't going to take that. She leaned forward and grabbed his arm hard whipping him back around to face her. "I'm not letting you go out there and tear New Orleans up. As a matter of fact I sent Josh out so before you start throwing accusations on what I'm doing I've done a lot so far thank you very much"

"Well if you were doing something I'm sure you would have found her by now. I see how well things worked between the two of you and I don't see how you can't keep a hold of a city when you can't keep Marcel"

After hearing his name being said, Marcel thought it was best to step behind the two of them. He placed his hand on their shoulders and pushed them back faintly before something dramatic happened. Klaus hadn't moved his eyes away from her and she stared back at him hard. Shoving Marcel's hand off of her shoulder, she spoke again.

"Like I told you before, I get it more than you think. You are heartbroken that you don't have Elijah to pull you off of the darkness you're swimming in. Cami is dead, Hayley is missing and your daughter wants you but you don't want her. I lost the person I loved to my enemy, I sent my kids away because it was better while I sat here by alone. I dealt with my problems are you need to start doing the same damn thing already. Quit acting like a baby, put your big boy pants on and let's do this together"

Sighing faintly, Klaus's expression had changed. Violet was making a point but the thing with Klaus was that he was always too stubborn to listen. Anytime Rebekah, Elijah or Hayley spoke the truth he would ignore it and continue to do his own thing.

Marcel momentarily looked at Violet because of her words. It was clear to him how much she hurt and it was something that he did his best to ignore. He knew everything but he also knew how he wasn't going to be able to make things better for her. Abandoning her was something that he never did and it was the first time that he struck a chord with her. They had issues in the past but for them to have no contact and leave things unfinished really damaged her.

Violet on the other hand wanted to break through to Klaus no matter what it took. She was trying her best to show that she could understand the problem because she lost someone close to her as well. Even though Hayley was missing, he still had to face the fact that Elijah couldn't be bothered. Losing a chunk of his life and really bothered Klaus and Violet knew the same feeling. When they met up in Moscow two years ago they connected again.

"We went through this in Moscow with Elijah Klaus that is the main root of you acting like a fool. Please just listen to me and trust me on this. You already killed a witch and a wolf…Think about Hope"

Shaking his head heavily, Klaus seemed to listen until he turned his back. He wanted to get revenge on someone for the message they sent. Violet huffed knowing that it didn't work but she wasn't going to stop just because he didn't listen. In all honesty she was beyond frustrated and she was going to be her foot down.

She looked towards Marcel silently asking him for his help; it was the least he could do. Sighing himself, he decided to step in again. "Klaus think this over, Violet has a point here"

"I'm not going to let whoever did this think I'm not going to retaliate. It makes you look weak and I'm not going to be weak"

Scoffing, the youngest vampire in the room was going to take matters into her own hands. It more than likely wasn't going to work in her favor but it was still worth a try. Violet pressed forward and reached her hands around his neck in order to snap it. She was going to stop Klaus no matter what it took. Being a faint step ahead, he had pushed her back while zipping from her grip. Marcel had jumped in to stop him but Klaus turn the tables around and in a swift movement snapped her neck. Violet's lifeless body crumbled to the concrete floor.

Without saying a word, Marcel had bent down quickly to check on her knowing her neck was broken but it was out of reaction. "You want to end up in the same way or you follow me"

Taking one last look at her, Klaus had stormed off and after a moment Marcel followed. "You don't even know who sent her that, where are you going to start? Take another wolf, take a witch or a vampire but you are only creating more enemies than what you need right now"

"You don't think I understand that Marcellus? I am doing what I need to in order to protect my family. You would do the same thing for Rebekah, hell you would do the same thing for Violet"

Making a valid point, Marcel couldn't argue with him. He could see both sides of the problem though and he didn't want him going out and causing scene after scene. It was bad enough that he killed two innocent people from the factions and he was going to do so again.

Standing outside on Bourbon Street, Klaus faced his protégée. "What you should be doing is getting your city back" It was a way to get him off of his back and he knew the trouble he had to fit back in. "You know what you're lacking Marcel? You're lacking fear"

Looking at him, he wasn't sure exactly what he was getting at. Coming back to New Orleans was going to be a challenge with not only Violet but all the vampires in the city. He had abandoned it like she said and that made most of them lose respect for him, they no longer wanted to listen to him. Marcel had tried a few times to get the vampires to do things his way but they were hardly listening to him.

"Be the leader you were years ago, Violet may have these vampires under her control but you can get all of this back. Your vampires, your streets and your city. Killing that wolf and witch made everyone in this city fear Klaus Mikaelson once again and that's exactly what you need to do"

* * *

By the time Violet had woken up, hours had gone by. She stood up cracking her neck and dusted her white shirt off that was more than likely ruined due to the wet ground. Her phone had buzzed in her back pocket and she had a few missed calls and a million messages. Most of them had said something about the church and she was on her way there next.

Klaus and Marcel were nowhere to be found but someone looked like they were calling a meeting. Reaching the church, she whipped the doors open and stepped inside seeing most of the vampires of New Orleans inside. They had turned to face her as she started walking past the pews.

"Violet, what's going on?" A female named Amy asked.

"Why are we meeting here, how come we are not at the bar?"

"This better be an important meeting"

Violet had been looking through everyone in order to spot Josh. She though he might have gathered the vampires or something important happened while she was knocked out. It was suspicious because she hadn't been the one to order anything.

Spotting him towards the front, she held her hand up to the others questions and maneuvered his way. "There you are, what's going on? I got told my one of them that we needed to have a meeting"

"Exactly what I'm wondering. I went to see Klaus this morning and he snapped my neck. I've been out for the last couple of hours" She responded rubbing the back of her neck.

Josh's face read as a confused and surprised expression but he didn't have a chance to answer as the church doors opened and in walked Marcel Gerard.

Walking past the curious faces, Marcel had a plan up his sleeve thanks to Klaus's little talk. Whether that gave him more enemies, he honestly didn't care. It was going to be a huge problem with Violet and that was what bothered him most.

"Okay, I know how you hate me for leaving and trust me, I get it. I left this city out of love but I am here now and I want to make amends with all of you here"

"What the hell are you doing?" Violet asked which got some agreement from the vampires.

Marcel glanced at her as he stepped up on the stand. "From this point forward, I am taking this city back and I am getting all of the control back. None of you seem to listen to me and finding Hayley Marshall should be a bigger problem than you all think…First order of business however" Pausing in his sentence, he looked over the crowd then down towards Violet. "You are all handing over your daylight rings and you'll get them back when I saw so. If not, there is no more garden anymore. It's off with your head which means a permanent death"


	27. Anything you can do

Marcel knew exactly what he was pulling and didn't think twice about it. New Orleans was slowly losing its control within the vampire community and someone needed to step forward. While taking to Klaus more, he had a point and he was still king after all.

Violet's veins were on fire and her jaw was tight. She hadn't taken her green eyes off of him and she could tell that he was trying to avoid her gaze. All she could hear were the vampires' voices all gasping and talking; her world seemed to dissolve right in front of her. In all honestly she felt embarrassed and Violet knew that her cheeks were turning rosy from it. She had been running the city perfectly fine and didn't have a problem until recent. He was acting just like Klaus, wanting to take something someone else had just because he could.

Most of the vampires were in shock as well and began to argue. Marcel hadn't spoken to any of them even though he was getting a thousand questions thrown at him. Clearing her throat, Violet raised her hands and shushed all the vampires so they could speak.

"You can't do that to us…" One called out from the back and Violet glanced behind her to see who it was.

"Actually I can…Look, I don't even know half of you and I doubt you are going to want a problem with me. It's simple, the rings stay in my possession and you'll get them back until Hayley Marshall is found"

"We don't listen to you anymore" Amy spoke up like before and Marcel remembered her face faintly. "You haven't been around for the last four years…Violet is the only one we listen to around here"

The vampires began agreeing and Josh was trying his best to get control of what they were feeling. He was in the same boat however because he didn't want his daylight ring to be taken away either. His main concern was all of them getting ready to rebel and that result in a bloodbath.

Marcel had looked away and now focused his attention on Violet. Closing his mouth, he knew she had something to say because he was surprised she hadn't said anything yet. Her eyes had been fixed on his shoes; she was still taking the situation in.

"You're not getting my daylight ring nor are you getting theirs" Lifting her head, her eyes were glossed over with anger and her was twisted. "I'm the Queen around here Marcel"

The venom in her voice was clear and he could hear all of it. Marcel knows Violet well enough that she wasn't going to listen to his new rule. All he would have to do is convince her and all the other vampires would fall in line. The problem was that there was going to be no convincing Violet as she was always dead set in her ways.

At least ten seconds later a figure had blurred into the room and grabbed her in a tight hold. Klaus Mikaelson had appeared to more gasps in the room and he snaked his hand around her throat. Turning them and facing the crowd he spoke, "Careful love, I know you have a tongue on you and I wouldn't want you to lose it"

"Let her go Klaus!" Josh spoke looking between him and Marcel.

"I will when all of you decide to give up your daylight rings" He responded looking over all the vampires faces. Not one of them was going to move because they didn't want to get killed nor did they want anything to happen to Violet. His gold eyes looked at her as he waited for her to speak.

The blonde vampire grabbed onto his forearm attempting to pry his hand from her neck but that only made him hold tighter, his nails digging into her neck. Violet could feel some blood leak down onto her white shirt and seep underneath it. Swallowing hard, she debated on it and couldn't believe the words fell from her lips, "Give Marcel your daylight rings"

It killed her inside to know that he won that round because she could feel a bruise appear on her ego. She knew that the vampires were going to hate it but they would do what they were told with both Marcel and Klaus around. They overpowered every single one in that room and it wasn't like any of them could put up much of a fight.

Searching around the room, Marcel found a box towards the back and made his way to get it. Flipping the top open, it was perfect size and would be able to hold all of them. Stepping over to Josh first, they had stared at one another.

"What happened to you?" Josh asked but Marcel didn't say anything to his friend. He knew that he would be angry as well but it was only going to help everyone in the long run. Nodding his head towards the brown box, the younger vampire glanced towards Violet. Klaus hadn't let go and even looked back towards him to make sure he was complying.

Slipping the ring off slowly, he placed it in the box. "Tell Klaus to let her go"

"As long as all these vampires give them their rings, Violet will be perfectly fine" He called out turning away. He knew that he was also now at odds with Josh and Marcel was turning away so he didn't have to face him. It was the only way he knew to get control of the city back because Violet was never going to hand over anything.

A few vampires had been toying with their blue rings, some hesitated and some did so without a problem. Once more got eight of them in the box, Klaus hand unhooked his nails and let her go. Violet pushed herself forward to get away from him.

Rubbing her neck, she was feeling the wounds heal and she glanced down at her now ruined shirt. She was listening to every ring fall into the box and shaking her head in disapproval. Coming to her last Marcel stood behind her and Violet wasn't daring to turn around.

Instead she looked up and her green eyes scanned the vampire crowd. Most had been watching intently wondering what was going to happen next, the vampires were more than curious. Swallowing hard again, she began walking away until Marcel spoke.

"Violet…Hand over the ring. Trust me; I don't want any trouble so just give me your ring"

Scoffing at his remark, the blonde turned back around to see Klaus standing up front and Marcel at least five feet away from her. "You don't want any trouble yet you come in here starting it, kind of hypocritical, isn't it?" She wiped her nose on the back of her hand; her emotions were beginning to show.

"I mean, that's what all of this is about right? You come in to dominate the show, to prove that you are the true king. Well guess what? We all get it Marcel, we all see it. You act exactly the same way he does" Violet once again was trying to get her point across and pointed over towards Klaus. "You robbed me of being with someone else but you; you locked me away because you wanted to control the situation. It's always what you want but what about me?"

Lowering the box faintly, Marcel wasn't caught off guard but didn't expect her to go this length in front of everyone. He thought maybe she was doing it on purpose to just cause an argument in front of the vampires or it was because she had issues upon issues with him. "You don't need to make a scene, we'll talk about this later, just hand me your ring"

Shaking her head faintly, there was disgust in her eyes. "I watched you for years make this city what it is and now I learned from the best and took a hold of it. You want my God damn right, here you go" Yanking it off her finger by ignoring the pain, she tossed it towards him. It bounced off his chest and clattered onto the floor, making noise as it rolled around.

Looking down at himself then to the ring and finally at her, Marcel watched it intently. Violet's eyes had already lost its tears and now were red with anger. He was surprised that she wasn't vamped out as angry as she way. "What? Do you want me to bow down while I'm at it my King? You know what, take this to while you are at it" Tugging at the necklace around her neck, she threw that as well before slowly starting to back away.

Picking the locket up, he knew already what it was. When they were taking Aaliyah and Jordan out of state, she had gotten them a necklace of a fleur de lis for each of them. Aaliyah and Violet wore theirs while the boys and turned them into something else. It was her way of keeping them connected even though they all were going on separate paths. Letting her walk out, Marcel picked up the ring without a word.

* * *

In true Violet Badeaux fashion, she was going to be dramatic. Her grip was becoming looser and she went on a famous ripper spree. This time however she pulled something more fun and left it for all to see. She didn't care anymore; she cared about getting her point across.

Stepping into her apartment, Violet's clothes were now stained redder than before, her once white shirt almost colored maroon. She had blood splattered all over her face, her nailbed underneath with dried blood. Her blonde hair was messy; she honestly looked as if she had just gotten ran over by a car. Walking over to the kitchen sink, she turned it on and watched the blood run down the drain.

Hearing a knock at the door, she leaned back and saw the door creep open. Violet assumed it was Josh because she was surprised that he hadn't tracked her down yet. "Violet…We need to talk" Hearing Marcel's voice, she shut the water off and walked over to the front door.

"Get the hell out of my house" Her hands were dripping with red water, he watched it puddle onto the floor.

"I came here in peace to talk about what happened…" Marcel had studied her because he wasn't sure exactly what she was thinking or what her next plan of action was.

Not moving still, Violet stared back. She listened to the water drip and it was an unnerving scene. "You have nothing to say to me. You already proved that you were king of the city and I was nothing but a scraper so leave"

"You and I haven't ever gotten to this point out of the hundred and some years we've spent together. I get it; you hate me for leaving you in Mystic Falls and going back to Rebekah. I get that you want me to never see you again because you've done a good job of avoiding me. I know I hurt you and you being a vampire means your emotions are heightened, I don't want to keep fighting with you Vi"

Cocking her head faintly, she was doing her best to keep her composure. It was hard for her to not show anything because there was an array of emotions that flooded her body. It was looking a Marcel at that angered her, it broke her in two. Being confident was something she always but she didn't feel that she was standing that tall anymore. Violet couldn't keep the poker face anymore; this was tugging at her last straw.

"I've done nothing wrong to you. I've always agreed with what you said and everything you did. I stood by your side when the city burned to the ground in 1919. Who helped you build it? Who brought you back to life; you helped you get this back when the Mikaelson's ripped it away from you? Out of all your friends I am the one left standing and you screwed me over. You leave me stranded in a town I don't even know, you broke my heart and now you strip me of my life and my city. What did I do to you?"

"I'll accept the fact that I screwed up, I know that I broke your heart. If you're not reminding me then I have Aaliyah asking me questions of why we aren't together. What happened to us? We came back to life and we were on the same page and then everything stopped. You stopped caring, I did everything for the four of us but you didn't care anymore"

"I cared! I didn't want to send those kids off to school; I didn't want them to leave. I didn't want you to go back to Rebekah. I wanted you to come back with me so we could run New Orleans together. Instead, I had to call Josh to pick me up and do my best to pick myself back up"

Shaking his head, Marcel knew the truth and Violet was fighting it. "You turned your emotions off because you didn't want to take care of them. You wanted it to go back to what it was and you knew that there was no turning back. Aaliyah and Jordan bonded to you and you pushed them away because you were afraid to care. That's the thing with you Violet, if it's not me or you, you don't care about anyone else. You couldn't push those kids out because they wanted you so you finally turned them on and made yourself care. I know you love them and I know you still love me but it wasn't fair to anyone"

Biting her tongue for moment, she scoffed out loud and now shook her head at him. That was the truth and she even knew it. Violet felt like Klaus with the way she was acting towards them. She didn't want to step up to that plate and was concerned about taking control of everything in her life. The truth was that she had cared for Marcel even with the emotions off but he was going to make her turn them back on. She wasn't ready for that and it was something that she had struggled with. Once the news broke about New York, she cracked hard enough for them to flip the switch.

"Do you still love me?" She asked quietly but watched him to see what his reaction and words would be.

Rubbing his mouth slowly, Marcel hesitated answering. "You know I'll always love you. You can't hate someone you love; if you did it would make things a lot easier"

Nodding her head, Violet paused and took a deep breath. Once again her emotions were getting the best of her and she was letting them flood her. Sinking to her knees, she raised her wet, bloody hands to her face and rubbed them through her hair, staining it faintly red. Watching her, Marcel didn't understand what she was doing. She had begun sobbing but that had later turned into crying in a matter of seconds.

Stepping over to her, he bent down and reached for her. Violet looked at him slowly and let him but she wasn't sure why. "What did you do?" Marcel asked softly because he still didn't know why she was drenched in blood.

* * *

Klaus Mikaelson had come to the rescue by calling Marcel and telling him to come down to the compound. He wanted to check out some suspicious activity from certain vampires in the city. He believed that they were the ones who took Hayley and wanted to act upon it quickly. Leaving Violet to clean herself up, he walked down Bourbon Street and stepped inside.

"Fancy scene, isn't it?" Klaus asked once Marcel reached the courtyard fully. Dead bodies were scattered everywhere, blood was flowing on the stone ground. "Whoever did this is lucky my daughter didn't see it…Those vampires are going to pay"

Walking in a circle to take everything in, he knew that his statement was completely wrong. "I don't think it was the vampires that did this Klaus"

Snapping his head in his direction, he walked closer to one of the humans. Placing a hand on his shoulder, the head had fallen off and Klaus knew who it was at that point. "So the New Orleans Ripper had a meltdown…If she does it again she will end up exactly the way they are"

"Leave Violet alone, she did what she had to do" He commented.

"Oh? We take her precious daylight ring and she decides to murder at leave ten locals and scatter their bodies in my home because you are staying here? Tell me Marcel; in what way does that sound normal?"

"Just because Hayley is missing doesn't mean you have to be a dick to everyone" He challenged him back and just looked at the mess in front of him. "What did you need me for anyway?"

"I can trust you enough to help me find Hayley?" Klaus questioned and his son had nodded in response. It was the growing paranoia that was creeping into his brain once again. "Did you notice some of those vampires? The ones in the back?"

It had taken Marcel a moment to think about it as he had looked at so many faces. "Are you talking about Greta and her vampires?" Agreeing to his sentence, he continued on, "Those are part of the NOLA vampires, Violet said they came in years ago and wanted nothing to do with this city"

Hearing that piece of information Klaus responded, "Well then we know exactly who to go to"


	28. All in a Woman's Work

"These vampires don't put up much of a fight, do they?" Klaus questioned as he looked over three bodies.

"Their lazy and bad at covering their tracks" Marcel responded doing the same thing as Klaus was.

The two elder vampires were on a mission to get Hayley and they believed they were right on the dot. After spying and collecting information on the extra vampires, the two of them had gone off on an adventure. They were real close to getting answers and Klaus could only hope that she was alright.

"I guess Violet had the right idea on these guys…" Marcel spoke again and paused after mentioning her name. "She's gonna forgive me for all of this, right?"

Walking past the body, Klaus and Marcel were tucked away in some abandoned building. Since the vampires didn't have any day rings they had holed themselves up in a place that they didn't think anyone would find. They were on a mission to find Greta because Klaus had received word from Hope and Freya that she was the culprit.

"If you're worried about your precious Violet I would suggest changing your focus to our missing Hayley and finding Greta because her hating you is the least of our worries"

Marcel knew he wasn't wrong but it still bothered him. "She's trapped in her apartment all day and you know that she's going to kick my ass for all of this"

"Let her then" He responded bending down to check a person over. Klaus had a bigger plan up his sleeve in order to finding his missing piece. "Let her carry on until she gets tired of screaming at your problem is fixed"

"Actually it won't be because I'm still irritated as hell that you decided to jack my ring from"

Violet Badeaux had walked inside of the old building in strides. She had a cheery look on her face and she waved in their direction. She had on a white and black striped crop top, black leather pants and of course black combat boots. Her blonde locks were pulled into her two buns and a grin was on her face.

"How did you get your ring back?" Marcel asked with a confused look on his face. He too was dressed in black and white but his was a simple white long sleeve shirt with a black design and black pants.

"I told you I wasn't the Queen of this city for nothing. Next time you decide to take me down a notch just know that I'm a step ahead" Receiving a glare from Klaus, she placed her hands on her hips and looked towards him. "Okay, I took them last night when I hung up the presents in the compound. I'm not being locked inside wasting the day when I'm your most valuable asset…Who are these people?"

The bodies were scattered all over with the floor stained with red in certain areas. Klaus had some blood standing his grey shirt but Marcel wasn't completely spotless. She knew that that he did all the work and called Marcel when he had his problem fixed. It made perfect sense to her but these faces were unfamiliar except for the vampires that hung around Greta.

"Wouldn't you like to know love? Give us back your ring and go back into hiding" Klaus spoke with a smile on his face.

Violet knew better than to believe they were going to be okay with her being a thief. "I'm the one thing you have on your side so my suggestion would be not to cross me twice. I'm sick of fighting and I want answers…My city, my rules"

"Do you hear that Marcellus? Your little protégée thinks we're going to listen to her"

"Watch it Klaus" Marcel told him in a stern tone. It wasn't a surprise to any of them that Klaus had been acting like an ass since Hayley's disappearance and his attitude was always coming out. Until she was found, Klaus was going to constantly act like a superior to whoever came in his path.

Turning to his left, he was wondering a few things but the only thing he showed was a faint smirk on his face. "Did you two make up over your differences because here I thought that you two would never get over this scuffle? I mean, you and Rebekah had it all and you two were planning to get married but what happened? Right, my sister turned you down and you end up running back here to an old, poetic if you ask me"

Silence had filled the building because it was the partial truth. Marcel did run back to New Orleans after Rebekah turned him down but it wasn't exactly what Klaus thought. He knew that he couldn't keep going between the two women and last night proved that Violet had enough of it. Lingering his eyes towards her, Violet shook her head but caught her gaze.

"If you want to keep standing there and acting like an ass be my guest but I know something big about Hayley that I'm sure you dying to know. You tell me what is going on and I'll tell you my secret. Deal?"

That had been enough to make Klaus lose his cool. Launching himself towards Violet, he took strides to her and she started to back away slowly. She knew better than to get on his bad side but she wanted to know what this secret meeting was about. Watching the scene unfold, Marcel was stepping between the vampires before something happened. Putting his hand out towards Klaus, he made her he kept his distance.

"What have you guys been up to?" She asked again staying as still as possible once she stopped backing up.

"If you tell me now I'll reconsider death for you" It wasn't a surprise to her either than Klaus was going to become threatening as he usually did when something held information over him. "Better yet, let me drain you of the vervain you take and I'll compel it out of you"

Laughing faintly she spoke, "You can try but I'm not on any vervain so there, I just made things easier for you. What's with these dead bodies and I'll tell you what I know about Hayley"

Snapping his head in her direction, Marcel didn't know why she decided to let that piece of information out. Klaus now would have his hand holding the world as he could easily snap her neck or worse once he got a hold of her. Shoving Marcel back hard, Violet side stepped out of the way and zipped past a few bodies. He had to chase Klaus for a second and held him back.

"How about I just cut your tongue out and let you suffer" He yelled at her but Marcel's strength was becoming greater than his.

"Does anyone ever realize that people constantly threaten me by ripping my tongue out? That's like the hundredth time I've heard that and I still have yet to shake in my boots. Tick tock Klaus…"

"Dammit Violet just tell him what you know before he tears you to pieces and you ended up in the river" Marcel commented looking behind his shoulder.

Thinking it over in her head, Violet did notice that he was having a hard time keeping him back. With Klaus's fragile and paranoid mind, he was willing to do anything. Feeling defeated for at least the fifth time out of the whole month, she sighed and pushed her shoulders forward like a child. "Fine, Greta is the one that has her"

Loosening his grip, he had a feeling that Klaus was going to calm down or at least he hoped for that. Klaus did in fact calm as I was something he already knew. "Well Violet gets a point for being behind because that is something we already knew"

Shrugging faintly, she glanced down at a blood person towards her boots. "Okay…What's the deal with these bodies then?" Violet wasn't stupid nor was she completely out of loop. She was leaving a huge piece out of the puzzle but she wanted an answer then she'd reveal it to him.

"I'm making some hybrids in order to wipe out any vampire that decides to cross me again" Klaus told her while fixing his leather jacket. "There, does that solve the little mystery?"

Uncrossing her arms, she raised her finger in the air. "Hold up, you are not about to start turning wolves into hybrids under my watch. That is causing way more problems than what I need right now and you let him do it?" She questioned Marcel. "Do you know what pack these guys are from? They could be related to…" Cutting herself off, she almost brought up the Gerard-Badeaux siblings.

"First off I got a call from Klaus to meet him here and this already happened. These are some of the vampires that run around with Greta and they were having a meeting with the wolves. How Klaus figured all of this out is not my business nor is creating hybrids"

"Oh now you don't have a problem with a hybrid being made but when you ruled this place we couldn't even drink from the locals or fall in love with a wolf. Did you lose your brain while you were in New York?"

The three vampires all started talking at once going back and forth between one another. Klaus was bringing up the fact that the hybrids he was creating were going to be on his side but he hadn't started the process yet. He was going to need Hope's blood and that was something he didn't have and he only walked into the scene of vampires killing werewolves. Marcel had been defending himself against Klaus's actions wondering why he answered his call in the first place. Lastly, Violet had been complaining about more wolves, especially ones that were going to have a sire link to Klaus.

Feeling her phone in the pocket of her jeans, she raised her finger to shush everyone while she answered a call. Plugging one ear and walking away, she began talking. "So has she said anything useful yet? No, that's Klaus and Marcel arguing in the background. No I haven't told him but I'm going to once I'm off the phone. Keep it up, I'll be there soon"

Sliding her finger on the screen, she slipped the purple phone back into her pocket and clapped her hands together to get their attention. "Are you two done yet?"

"Tell your little boyfriend here that he can think coming back here means he gets to run things but I'm still the alpha wolf running around your city"

"First off, my boyfriend left me in Mystic Falls so I don't have one anymore. Second, I'm calling the shots whether you two agree or not and third do you want to hear what I have to say?" She asked placing her hands on her hips again.

After last night she pulled herself together and decided to have a little fun. Murdering the people and hanging them up in the compound was enjoying for her and she didn't know how she did it without shutting her emotions off. There came a point however that she knew how to bend them and could balance between them. The confidence she regained was due to the fact that she was going to show everyone she could run the place and the old Violet was back.

"When I told you Greta is responsible I'm the one that left out a key piece of info. You guys pack your things, leave the dead bodies and follow me because I'm sure you'll want to trust me on this"

* * *

Leaving the abandoned building, Violet jumped into her prized purple car while Klaus ended up riding with Marcel in his black and white sports car. She was leading them back to the compound where things were starting to get messy.

Once they arrived, she was the first to step out and waited for them. "Okay, so I want you to hold onto your anger because I got you an early Mardi Gras presenting hiding in the basement" She said walking inside.

"If Greta's head isn't sitting on a stick then it really doesn't matter, does it?" Klaus responded standing to the left of her. She had been leading the charge in the middle with Marcel to the right.

"I'll do you one better, an alive Greta has to give answers once she's drained of vervain, right? After I got my little day ring out of the box, I found Josh's and handed him his as well. We decided to go on a scavenger hunt, pick up some clues and what do you know? Greta, the kidnapping vampire has only been in the basement since this morning, a little after you left"

Both of the elder vampires exchange a look and both had been impressed on her little mission. Even though they were both still angry over her snatching the rings back, they had to hand it to her. They had thought Violet was going to rebel them even more and not work on their side but she had proved to be valuble.

"You waited all of this time to tell me? Hayley could be injured or even dead and you didn't tell me you locked the number one suspect in my basement?" Klaus said with faint annoyance and anger in his voice.

Marcel had stopped Klaus from grabbing Violet's arm before speaking. "She did you a favor and the least you could say is thank you" Nodding his head in her direction, he wasn't done. "Once you get the answers you want you can yell at Vi but I think right now she's been a lot of help"

"At least someone here appreciates my work, almost like you both admiring the show I had last night" Violet said smirking faintly as she had watched them secretly cleaning up the dead bodies. "I should hand it to you, you guys have this place spotless…Josh, can you come up a second?"

Ripping open the door that led to the basement of the compound, she placed her hand on Klaus's stop him from going down. Sighing loudly and rolling his eyes, he backed away slowly and waited.

"Ah, little Joshua. Tell me, how has the torture session been going? I never thought you'd be the one to hold a little party but today has been full of surprises apparently"

Josh had come up by the door narrowed his eyes faintly at Klaus then didn't answer him. He instead made a confused face and wiped the top of his head with the back of his hand. "I think things are going well, I practically drained her enough but I don't know if the vervain is out yet"

His medium blue jeans had red patches on them and his hands were stained red as well. He had been down there for a good few hours trying to pry her of information before they would have to use compulsion.

Josh went to speak again but heard her chains clicking together. He mocked a salute and stepped back down as Violet blocked the door once more before either of the men could get past her. "I want to set a few ground rules before anyone does any sort of compulsion. First…"

Violet had been draping her arm on the wall but Klaus had pulled it down in order to pass her. "We compel Greta, get the information we want and go find Hayley. What else do you expect?"

Nearing falling forward after him ripping her arm of the wall, she smiled faintly. "I don't want you getting carried away and killing her once you step down there. We all know your temper Klaus and I don't want you doing something stupid before we all get what we want"

Spinning on her heel, she began walking down the stairs with them right on her heels. "Josh, we're coming down so if you want to go get cleaned up I'm sure I can do the rest without trouble"

Violet called out but only heard herself echo back. Feeling uneasy for a split second, she ignored the feeling knowing everything was fine. Greta had been chained down there for most of the morning and Josh had been keeping her in loop the whole time.

Unfortunately for the three vampires, Greta knew how to escape the situation she was in. Once they reached the bottom of the stairs, Violet rushed forward after seeing Josh lie on the dirty ground. Looking him over, she came to the conclusion that his neck had been snapped.

"How the hell did she break out of here?" She said aloud and starting moving at a fast pace past the holding cells where she once had been held years ago by Klaus.

"And here I thought you had everything under control" He commented looking in every direction.

"I did so don't even ask me how in the hell she broke out" Turning back to them, Violet was going to continue until she body had crumbled to the floor after her own neck had been snapped.

Seemingly popping out of nowhere, Greta had been tucked away inside one of the cells trying to figure out the next cause of action. Marcel and Klaus had been standing near the stairs and the only other way out was through the tunnels but that was a map she didn't know well. She also had a backup daylight ring in her pocket so she could face the morning sun and warn everyone about it all. Hope and Hayley were tucked safe and sound miles away perfectly done by her son. She needed to make a getaway fast and Klaus was the first to lunge towards her.

She had known that he was going to be the first to attack so she blocked it by zipping out of the way. Practically falling on his face, he had missed her but that had given Greta the opportunity to make a run for the stairs. The only problem she faced now was Marcel but somehow she had been able to outsmart him and snap his neck as well.

Spinning around furiously, Klaus had looked between Violet and Marcel for a moment before zipping out and chasing Greta. By the end of the day things were going to be changed for better or for worse.


	29. Death in the Family

Violet Badeaux had been the last vampire to wake up. Josh had been sitting in the corner of the basement scarfing down a bloodbag and that was what woke her up. She had smelled the blood at some point and still had groggy eyes while looking his direction. Feeling something hit her in the leg, she turned her attention to it.

"What's this for? I had my neck snapped, not drained" It had been a blood bag that Marcel had tossed in her direction.

"I'm fully aware because I had the same thing happen to me. Just drink up"

Josh had been the one that need the blood mostly as he hadn't gotten to have a drink since he was preoccupied with Greta all morning. He was hurt in the sense that he needed it but it was something that he was thirsty for. Marcel had a plan up his sleeve so he wanted to make sure that Violet drank some as well.

"Can I ask exactly what happened?" Josh questioned watching Violet pick herself up into a half lay, half sitting position. Taking another drink, he glanced between the elder vampires.

"Well I came down to check on you because Klaus was ready to tear her to shreds. We still needed her for information and once I came down here you were over there dead or should I say undead on the floor" Violet responded pointing over to where he was. "Anyway, she snapped my neck and I guess Marcel's as well"

Ripping the top open, both had been giving her credit for being calm around the bag. It wasn't that she had always been a monster, but they were surprised she wasn't more in a rage considering she just had her neck snapped. Taking a sip slowly, Violet began to drink quicker once she got a good enough taste of it.

Smirking faintly, Marcel had watched her before peeling his eyes away to look at Josh. "I didn't think you had it in you to actually torture someone"

"Well you know, I've learn to do all sorts of things over the last few years considering you decided to bail ship and run off. To believe it or not Violet took me more so under her wing and I learned a lot hence the reason I help run this place…" Thinking that over, Josh hopped up and searched for his phone. "The bar was supposed to be open hours ago"

Shifting his eyes, Marcel shouldn't have expected any less as all the vampires had been giving him the side eye since he returned back to New Orleans. He didn't blame them but he wasn't appreciative of their behavior.

Retracting her lips from the bag she put her hand out towards him. "Don't worry, I got Declan to open up. I told him you had food poisoning and weren't going to be in all day. I called him this morning when we got Greta"

Standing to her feet, she brushed herself off and continued drinking the rest of the blood that was left. Sucking the remains out, Violet glared her green eyes at them before speaking again, "Where the hell is Klaus anyway?"

"He's after Greta because to everyone's surprise she had family. Her daughter has been shacking up with Elijah over in France and she has a son who is the one who kidnapped Hayley and now Hope"

"Elijah has a girlfriend? I thought he was too uptight for that…Did you just say he kidnapped Hope?" Josh countered and turned his head towards Violet. "She's in school"

Shrugging faintly, Marcel had held up his phone and searched through it. He played a voicemail that Klaus had left him and he had received it once he woke up. Klaus had explained how he found out that Greta was on her way to kill Hayley and that her son was ordered to kill Hope. Both vampires were equally confused and in shock as the story just got more dramatic within hours.

Feeling her own phone buzzed in front pocket, she tossed the bag aside and pulled it out. "Speak of the devil, it's our favorite hybrid" Violet said sliding her finger over the button. "Is Hope okay?" She didn't know why that was the first thing that fell from her mouth but she ignored the others looks.

"I don't know, Greta's going out of state but I've got a little help from an old friend of her school…I want you guys to do me a favor down there" The panic and fear was faint in his voice but all of them knew how much both girls had meant to him.

"You mean Caroline, you're other blonde girlfriend" Violet joked but didn't receive a comment from him. She had been surprised that he didn't yell at her but he was in no joking mood. "If it's following you for back-up I'm not leaving this city"

"The vampires are in your old penthouse, the ones that Greta uses. I see it this way, I get rid of Greta and her family, you get rid of her vampires. You hate them as it is because they cause you enough trouble so why not go over there and stir up trouble?"

Turning back around to the boys, Violet wasn't exactly sure on his intentions. After talking to him more, it made more sense but at the same time it didn't. He saw it as a way of wiping out everything that Greta stood for and her people were going to pay for it as well. Violet wanted to handle the problem her own way and she didn't even know if they were there in the first place. After hanging up, she ran a hand through her hair.

"Looks were going back to an old place, you guys ready?"

Throwing his hands up, Josh shook his head. "Don't get me wrong, I enjoy getting rid of our enemies but I have a real life job that I have to take care of. Would it be wrong of me to want to go do that?" He asked looking between them.

"Well, it looks like it's just going be Violet and I then"

* * *

As Josh decided to head back to Rousesseu's, Violet and Marcel began to figure out what kind of move Klaus wanted them to do. She was glad that Marcel had her back because if she walked in there to cause trouble by herself it more than likely wouldn't end well. They had agreed to take his car in order for her purple one not to be spotted so easily. Waiting outside of his black SUV that it seemed every vampire had, Violet leaned up against it and stared at the old building.

"We killing anybody today?" She questioned crossing her arms waiting for him to step out.

"That's going to be up to them. Klaus didn't say to kill anyone but we know he would love nothing more than to have blood on our hands. You want to go in there and destroy things or did you change your mind?" Marcel asked her moving past the hood.

Violet stayed silent not taking her eyes off the place. Like always a thousand memories had popped into her mind but she decided to comment on something entirely different. "This reminds me of your penthouse in New York. Sort of the same building but looks more city than this right here"

Pushing herself off of the car, she patted his arm and began walking. They were a good distance away that they would have to walk at least a few minutes to get there. They wanted to still stay hidden but knew that none of them would see them anyway as no vampire had any daylight rings with the exception of she and Josh.

Staying still for a second, Marcel trailed behind her with a confused expression on his face. "Wait a minute, how do you know where I live in New York?"

Jogging up to her, Violet glanced behind her to see him stepping up to her. She smirked a little and looked away. "Because I went to New York a few years ago to get you to come back home. I had someone track you down and I ended up outside the penthouse with a bouquet of roses, not violets this time"

She knew that Marcel was going to know exactly what she was talking about. Violet had dropped the roses at the front door when she realized what a romantic fool she was being. She however kept an eye and Rebekah had picked them up thinking they were for her. New York City wasn't her liking but Violet stuck around for a few days keeping her eye on them. Watching them made her realize that Marcel and Rebekah were very in love and she didn't want to get in the way of ruining it.

Puling into the elevator, they stood side by side not saying another word. They were constantly around each other in silence now compared to them being so close before. While Violet was staring at the numbers to see the floor they were on, Marcel had glanced over and looked at her.

"You do know I can see you, right? What do you want?" She commented keeping her eyes locked on the numbers.

"Nothing, I'm just not used to you not talking. Half of the time you've got something to say and I know that you hate me" He answered back.

Scoffing out a laugh, Violet shook her head. "I didn't say I hated you, I hate you for what you did. Besides, didn't we talk about this already?"

"Face it Vi, you hate me. You hate that I left you for a Mikaelson. You hated me after Lucien got killed and you hate me now. If we really want to be technical, we need to have a talk about you killing a bunch of people, piling them in the compound and having a breakdown. Klaus hasn't stopped talking about it"

Smiling with the elevator beeped, Violet gave him the sweetest smile she could. "Who said it was me? Okay, I was hungry and once again I think I explained myself to you about this…Klaus wouldn't have done anything, he's been after me since Moscow"

It had been a semi lie but Marcel didn't need to know that. They had come across each other when Violet left NOLA for a while and they had hung out more than once. It also meant that she hooked up with him a few times but she wanted him to wander on that thought. The lie was that Klaus wasn't after her, it was just a simple hook up to each other.

"When did you run into Klaus?" Marcel asked as they made their way to the penthouse door.

"I sure as hell don't miss this terrible place. Too many memories, both good and bad…Let's just get this over and done with, shall we?" Violet said ignoring his question and trying to open the door. Huffing, she moved him back and kicked it with all her might. "I really hated this door"

As both vampires had walked into their former home, they couldn't believe the sight that was in front of them. The penthouse had been completely trashed from head to toe and Violet knew it wasn't because of her meltdown last time. Huge, black blankets had covered the windows so no sunlight could come in, random clothes were scattered everywhere along with vampires. Some of Greta's vampires had been sleeping while some of them were awake which prompted them to look at them.

"The King and Queen come here to make another rule around here?" One of the vampires, Emmett who Violet had always disliked said.

"What in the hell did you guys do to this place?" Violet had asked back while keeping a vampire gently with her foot to check if he was still alive. He had jumped up in response and she had grabbed his throat before he did anything. Letting go once the random vampire realized it was her, she smirked and looked back towards Emmett.

"Who said you could just waltz right in here?"

"I'm pretty sure that I can considering this place is in my name and since Violet lived here we me, she doesn't need to knock" Marcel responded taking a glance at the vampire she stopped. "I have a simple little question to ask"

After hearing most of the noise, sleeping vampires had began to wake up and slowly rise to their feet. Violet and Marcel had been outnumbered as it looked to be two against fifteen but it wasn't that they faced before. Looking at mostly unfamiliar faces, they kept their composures showing that they weren't going to be a threat, at least yet.

Emmett had stared Marcel down hard waiting for him to ask the question. "You've been working with Greta all this time, haven't you?"

Scoffing out a laugh, he crossed his arms. "Look, we've done nothing to you or this city so if you think you can just come in here and start making accusations…"

"Do you really think I haven't picked up on anything?" Violet asked placing one hand on her arm and held her right hand up. "First we have a mysterious kid become a hybrid and get murdered, before that the bar was trashed after you guys flooded it. Josh has spotted you feeding on locals numerous times, you trash my former home and question my authority every single time" She began to put a finger up after ever mention.

"You really think you're intimidating, don't you? It's pretty cute" James, a vampire that only Violet recognized spoke as he began walking up towards Emmett from behind him. He was another one of those outspoken vampires that always had something to say.

Cocking her head sharply, she put her hand down. "Do you really want to know what I did to the last person that I trusted?" Violet had been referring to her ex-boyfriend Dakota. "If you really want to find out, I suggest taking another step forward and I'll show you"

Getting under Violet's skin was usually easy as someone would just have to say something insulting. Her green eyes were slowing slipping into a red color and she went to step forward until Marcel's grabbed her elbow and yanked her back gently.

"Just because you two run this city doesn't mean you can control our actions. We know that you are here because your girlfriend turned you down. You came back here thinking you could run things and you were wrong. You on the other hand think ripping heads off and staging them really shakes us to the core"

Emmett and his vampires had clearly known about her hanging bodies throughout the compound. Marcel had begun to realize why Violet always had a problem with them. Besides the constant complaining, opinions and attitudes, it was obvious where the issues lied. He also had a feeling why Klaus had wanted them to go there was because he wanted them to kill all of them even though it was against her rules.

"You really think I won't paint these walls red?" Violet said again letting the irritation show. Marcel knew they were trying to get under their skin because they would be breaking their own rules if they killed them.

"We want our daylight rings back. You have yours, Josh got his and ours are sitting somewhere in a box. Give us the rings and I'll think about coming to an agreement"

"You guys are not getting your rings back" Marcel said calmly taking a glance towards the vampire next to him who seemed to become antsy due to Violet's demeanor. Tensions were rising and he just wanted to make sure nothing got out of hand.

Apparently hearing that they weren't getting their rings back was enough to send  
James over the edge and send him flying towards them. Violet acted easily and coolly on response, grabbed his neck and twisted letting his body fall towards her feet.

Emmett had watched James and shifted forward out of response but not to attack them. Some of the vampires had came closer to them and Violet walked around in a little circle giving all of them a look in order to keep them in their place.

"Tell him when he wakes up that next time he does that, I'm locking him in the garden for thirty years for attempting to attack me…Let's put it this way. Marcel and I came here looking for answers but I think we've got them. You try and do anything around here I will personally make you pay for whatever it is you do. Anything happens to Hayley or Hope I promise you that Greta will be right behind them and you will be without a follower. I can't kill you now but if I really want, I'll break my own rules just to tear your heart out and throw it in the bayou. Does that sound clear enough to you?"

Giving her credit, it had been strange for Marcel to hear Violet speak in such a manner. She was always vocal and outspoken but the way she talked now had been different ten years ago. The old Violet would have easily jumped on Emmett or even rolled around with James. The new and improved Violet held her ground and the tone in her voice was stern compared to being normal. He had always given her credit but this was different for him to see.

Violet wanted to see most of their faces so she began to walk through the room. "And just because you want something doesn't mean you are going to get it. The rings stay in my possession until you all learn to follow my rules. Enjoy the rest of your day" Stopping in front of one of the large windows, she yanked the blanket off to reveal rays of sunlight. That made the vampires yell and scattered in order to avoid burning.

Watching them, she walked past them, patted Marcel's shoulder and walked back out to the hallway. Standing in silence again, the elevator was a quiet ride. When they stepped outside however, things had changed.

"Why are you staring at me again?" Violet wondered as they were walking side by side to reach his car.

"Nothing…Actually you reminded me of myself back there" Marcel had said. Before Violet even came into the picture, the witches were the ones who he targeted. He had been cruel to the factions on New Orleans even after she appeared.

"I did learn from the best, didn't I? Being at your side all these years was bound to rub off on me. Just because I didn't want to run this place didn't mean I had no clue how to run it. Besides, I can yell at them all I want because they aren't going to touch me as long as your there. You venom comes in handy when you're at my side"

"Oh so you're just using me, I get it now" He joked smiling towards her and for once Violet had to laugh. It was nice that they were getting along despite there being a problem between them. "What are you gonna do if I'm not there?"

Giving him a look, Violet spoke. "I can handle myself thank you. How many times have I been tortured that I still could take more of the pain? I could kick your ass if I wanted to"

Reaching the truck, both had hopped it the same seats they were in before. Feeling her phone buzz that was sitting on the dashboard. Reading the name, Violet slid her finger over the screen and answered. Marcel had started the car, turned down the radio faintly and sat there waiting for her. He was not listening because he had believed it to be Josh and he didn't want to pry either.

A minute later she hung up and slowly set the phone down in her lap. Violet hadn't said anything and she just stared out of the front window. She had no words to say after what she heard and Marcel studied her face. "Vi? What's going on"

"That was Klaus…" She said quietly but didn't look at him. Reaching out of one of her hands, he began to realize whatever she heard wasn't good news. "Hope's fine, Klaus was able to save her but…" Moving her hand away, Violet covered her mouth for a second. "Hayley's dead"

Blinking after hearing her, Marcel shifted in his seat to face her more. "Hayley's dead?"

Nodding faintly, she ripped her eyes away from the building and looked towards him. "Klaus said that she threw herself out in the sun with Greta in order to save Hope. He didn't exactly explain, he hung up before I could ask any questions. All I know is that they are dead, the girl is safe and now there is a werewolf problem rising because they no longer have an alpha"

* * *

Hours had gone by and Marcel was impatiently waiting for Klaus to return back to Louisiana with Hope. He was not answering his phone so he couldn't get any answers. He had left Violet go do whatever she needed and it was her job to inform the community. The vampires needed to know whatever happened as the wolves were another problem. Violet wasn't going to be the ones to tell them as they weren't her people nor did she want to be blamed for it. Greta was a vampire which meant they were going to put the problem on her.

Violet wanted to gather the vampires at the bar in order to keep them updated on things in the city. Tensions would possibly arrive over the next few days and she wanted to help solve that problem before it arrived.

Sitting on the bar, Violet watched the vampires walk into the bar while she had been sipping her drink. She decided not to invite the vampires under Greta's control because she would more than likely try killing all of them. Some had sat down at the empty tables while others had opted to stand. Most of them looked like they didn't want to be there, but Violet really didn't care.

"Alright, I can tell all of you look so thrilled, so I'll hurry up and talk. First is first, does anyone have any questions?"

"Are you giving us our rings back? It's been days since you promised you'd get them back" Emily had chimed from the back of the group.

Sighing, it seemed that the ring thing was going to be on everyone's mind that day. "No, I'm not giving them back just yet but I promise in time you'll have them…I have a few things to tell you…"

She had got cut off by her boyfriend, Carter who stepped closer to the front. "Really? You have yours so why can't we have ours? Maybe you forgot but we are holed up all day because we can't go out"

"I will get them, give me time to sort some things out before I do and you'll have them. All I'm asking is just a couple of days" She responded, taking a bigger drink than before.

"You know, we've come together and discussed things and how the way you run this city isn't fair to any of us. You two have your rings only because Marcel gave them up since you are still in love with him. The rest of us don't matter"

It was time Josh interjected as he was pouring a bunch of shots for the vampires. "Actually Violet went took her, technically she kidnapped her ring. As for me, I don't know why I got mine and it sucks, I was out there without one"

"Okay, let me break this down. I will give you back your rings if you promise to just lay low for a few days. Emmett and his vampires have been betraying this city in more ways than one. They have been working with Greta, trying to destroy everything this city stand for. As of this moment Hayley Marshall-Kenner is dead because of her actions"

Even the though the bar had been silent listening to Violet to begin with, the vampires had all shifted eyes to one another. Many of them didn't personally know her as Violet did most of the talking to her. There was still a sense of confusion as Hayley was the leader of the werewolf faction. New Orleans was split within four and the trouble they had wasn't boiling over but it looked like it was going to be now.

"I know she was your friend and all but why does that matter to us?" Emily asked. She had winced faintly when Violet gave her a dirty look.

"It causes problems for us. The werewolves out in the bayou are going to blame us considering Greta was the one who killed her. On top of it the Mikaelson family are going to be on edge considering Hope Mikaelson's mother is dead. I want us to be considerate to the wolves for the next few days and you'll get the rings. I don't want there to be any conflict going on and I will handle it"

"Hayley's dead?" Josh asked still in shock. He had looked at Violet with his mouth faintly open.

Nodding, Violet held her glass to the air and tipped it. Taking the very last drink, she turned faintly to place the glass behind her. "Dead as a doornail. Greta is dead as well and once her vampires find out it's probably going to turn into an all out war between us. If you guys don't want to fight I get it but I want all of us to stick together"

After more talking about everything going on, Violet was counting on the vampires being together. Some of them had left once she started telling Josh about all that transpired that day and later Marcel came back. New Orleans was going to be in shambles with a missing leader and an uprising of vampires. The Mikaelson family at some point had to come together in a time like this and it looked like the time was coming sooner than they thought.


	30. The Forgotten Truth

**~~Sorry for a long update. I had all this nonsense going on and was feeling uninspired lately. Fear not, I wouldn't abandon this story so here is yet more fun~~Reanna**

After Klaus's phone call, it seemed like everything had gone into a complete blur. With Hayley's death spreading through the streets of New Orleans, the city was going to flip. The werewolves had been under her rule since she stayed in the city and they didn't have a problem with it. She represented the wolf community and worked well with the other factions respectively.

For Violet's sake, she was thankful that she had been the one that mentioned the Salvatore Boarding school for the kids. It would have been a mess to figure out what to do with Aaliyah and Jordan if they didn't have that option. She had Hayley were never close and she just considered her an ally for the factions of the city. Violet had always given her points for actually having a kid with a Mikaelson and staying around the family afterwards. Even though she wasn't fond of Hope either, she felt bad for the girl having to lose her Mother. She had been young when she lost her Mother as well it is was something that she remembered fondly.

Vincent had never gotten along well with the Mikaelson's and it wasn't anyone's secret. He along with Violet felt that they had mixed well due to the family not having an interference in New Orleans besides Freya. The werewolves were not a problem due to her having a strict yet lean control on them and it benefited for everyone around.

Marcel and Hayley's relationship started way before Violet or even Vincent had stepped in the picture. He helped out whenever they needed especially when it came down to his sister Hope. Even though they weren't blood related, it didn't make them any less of a family and he couldn't Hayley as a close friend. Their history wasn't a long one but was one that was filled with a lot of memories.

Josh had kept the bar longer than usual for the day in order for everyone to meet up. He was debating on keeping it closed for the whole day but there would be too many tourists that would show up and it meant too much business lost. Vincent, Violet, Marcel and Josh had been sitting quietly inside of Rousseau's with a bottle of Bourbon split between them.

"So who is representing the werewolf faction now that Hayley's gone?" Josh asked swirling his drink around in his glass.

Shrugging, Violet was slouched in her chair. The phone call had played over and over in her head all night and that mostly kept her up. She knew they were going to be a handful all day and on top of it Klaus and Hope were returning to New Orleans today.

"God I don't even want to figure that out. Hayley and Jackson were the alphas and now they are both dead. I don't even know, who that makes next in line. Aaliyah and Jordan are half Crescent and North East Atlantic which also makes Klaus and Hope one. All four were at the top in their packs but I don't know wolf 101. I know for a fact that our kids aren't about to come down her and take control"

Marcel had nodded in agreement and was also trying to figure the whole situation out. Hope would have possibly made the most logical due to the fact that she's Hayley's daughter. The confusing part was that Aaliyah and Jordan were targets because they were supposed to take over the NEA Pack and Klaus would overwrite them as he is the older wolf. Between a witch and three vampires was a mess of confusion.

"Freya's been working on this spell in order for the Originals to be around another for the funeral but I don't know if she's getting closer on it or not. I would assume Rebekah and Kol would want to come, have you talked to Rebekah Marcel?"

Picking up his glass, he went to take a drink but stopped. Violet had shifted her eyes towards him out of curiosity as well. "No, I haven't talked to her after she turned my proposal down and left me sitting in city hall. I'm sure Freya called her" Hearing a scoff of laughter next to him, Marcel looked that way. "Is that funny to you?"

"Yeah, it is" Violet said smoothly as the situation still amused her. "If you would have stayed here with me I could have been the fantasy life you wanted but nope, you ran to the wrong girl. That's okay, I'd rather her not show for this funeral so I guess I'm at a semi win here"

Sighing outloud heavily, Vincent didn't want to hear this battle again. He felt like over the last few years he had heard it at least 50 times and he didn't want to make it fifty one. "What is going on with her funeral? Has Klaus said anything about Hope?"

"I haven't talked to him. I'm pretty sure he's heading back here with her though" Marcel responded taking his shot and slowly filling another. "To Hayley" He said and rose his glass in the air.

"To Hayley" Josh, Violet and Vincent had also picked up their glasses and they all clicked them together. Everyone had drowned their shot and sat in silence for the time being.

Marcel had been right as Klaus had turned the knob to the bar and opened the door slowly and quietly. He saw the four of them standing their and stepped over, Josh seeing him first. All of them had turned to face him as Klaus stepped over to them.

"I'm glad to see you all are celebrating Hayley's life" He said calmly and reached for the bottle.

It was clear that he was distraught and no one had seen that look on his face since the Hollow had gone after Hope years ago. Even though Hayley could be a pain in the ass to him, they shared a child together. Hope played a big part in their relationship even to the extent of Hayley sending letters to Klaus in France in order to keep them close.

Violet had stood up from her chair and wrapped her arms around Klaus. It was a rare and random gesture because Violet never just hugged people even if it were for sympathy. She knew what it was like to lose someone close to her considering she had lost her best friend Tiana and had lost Marcel once upon a time. He had stood there with his hand on the bottle and his other arm at his side. It was still a shock to him that Hayley was gone.

After a what felt like a long time, she let go and sat back down. "How's Hope doing?" Vincent asked, he had always had a soft spot for her.

"She's doing the best she can right now. Freya has been going out of her way to keep her magic under control and keep her well adjusted"

"When is the funeral? I'll be sure to have the vampires attend and make sure that the vampires who were responsible will not be there and dead soon enough" Violet said wanting to grab the bottle away from him but once she inched her hand towards it, Klaus took a long drink.

"Hope doesn't want to throw a funeral according to my sister. She doesn't want the whole city to be there surrounding Hayley's death"

"It's a little late for that. New Orleans has a way with words, you should know that by now" Marcel told him referring to the fact that everyone in the city as well as the ones in each supernatural factions. The biggest part about it all was that the faction was now missing a leader.

Klaus hadn't answered him and seemed to be lost in a thought. He had found out something trouble and was debating on saying anything to this group. It was going to be his problem and his only and he wasn't sure if he wanted to get them involved. Trying to keep Hope protected was something he was always doing and he would have to inform the group if he wanted his promise to stay intact.

"It seems that my brother has come back to New Orleans and you know what that means"

"That two Originals cannot be in this city while Hope is around…" Vincent has finished his sentence. He rubbed one of his temples slowly trying to think of something. "I can try a spell that would possibly bend the rules of the Hollow"

"Freya is already doing that. The bigger problem is that Elijah still doesn't have his memory which means he has no idea who I am or any of you. I don't even have a reason for why he is here"

Everyone at the table had exchanged looks thinking what a logical reason could have been. They knew everything that happened with Hope's classmate Roman being the one who had betrayed the family.

"Greta mentioned something about a daughter to me once" Josh chimed in remembering when he had a conversation months ago with her.

"Do you know if he is with anybody?" Violet asked Klaus. It took him a second to recall the girl but he didn't have a name. "Well…What if Greta's daughter is dating Elijah and she knows that Hope is in town. You said that Hayley killed Greta and who is stopping her daughter from wanting revenge? Sounds like a movie plot but why else would he show up? He doesn't remember Hayley"

As all of them took in Violet's information, Vincent wanted to speak up. "Well what are we going to do about it? I'll see if Freya needs any help because we can't let him get near Hope. He won't have any idea what's going on"

"We're going to have to track down an Original" Marcel shifting his eyes over towards Klaus.

Shaking his head, Klaus took at a look at everyone at the table once again. "No, one of you are going to track him down. Violet, you've been running this city so it's your job to find my brother" He now pointed to Vincent and Marcel. "You two do a location spell to find him and if she gets to him first, you bring his memory back. Josh can keep a look out at the bar. Any questions?"

After everyone had received their motions from Klaus, they had debated on doing it and they all offered their opinions. In the end it became Klaus's decision because they were growing tired of arguing with him. For Violet she had no idea how she was going to find him considering that a parade was about to happen for a pre Mardi Gras celebration. It didn't help that she had no idea who this girl was or even what she looked like.

Josh opened up the bar as usual and listening around to see if he could pick up any information. His job was more so of a look out but it would be difficult for him the same way it was for Violet. Vincent wanted to check up on Freya and see if he could get something that belonged to Elijah in order to track a location. Marcel, Klaus and Violet were standing outside of the bar looking at the people who began gathering on Bourbon Street for the festival.

"Any idea where I could start? This is going to be a living hell…Can I have a description of this girl?" She asked looking to her left to Klaus.

"Probably about your height, dark brunette and pale skin…I watched Elijah take is day ring off and she didn't have one either"

"Okay so it's in the middle of the afternoon and you expect me to find him walking around? They'd burn in a matter of seconds so tell me how I'm going to find them now?"

As Violet's composure turned towards Klaus, Marcel had been standing to her right with her in the middle. "Greta had some day rings made so I wouldn't count them out just yet. What if you start by the Penthouse, see if they showed up there and come back?"

Klaus had been right that the vampires didn't have day rings but that had been at least a year ago. Elijah had tried convincing his new girlfriend to get a ring and with Marcel's tip, he more than likely had his own while Greta somehow had given her daughter one. It was still a fifty/fifty chance, but they needed to find Elijah and fast.

Turning her head towards him, she rolled her eyes. "Why are they going to be at the Penthouse?"

"It's your city, shouldn't you figure it out?" Klaus commented glancing at her.

With a loud huff, Violet walked away, throwing her hands in the air and shaking her head heavily. It only annoyed her that she would be the one looking for him and Klaus didn't want her to ask any vampires for backup.

Both Marcel and Klaus had smirked and watched her walk away. It wasn't anything new to either one of them as Violet was always there to complain. Her mood swings were nothing new and they brushed it off without another thought.

"So I see the two of you are working together again?" Klaus asked Marcel while turning his head to look at him.

Marcel had nodded faintly not really sure on that exact answer. "I guess you could say that, Vi still doesn't want me around but I think she's warming up to the idea that I'm here"

"You two are not going to be in this city together without coming together on something. I just have one question?" Marcel had turned to face him. "You can trust her right?"

That question had made Marcel wonder exactly what he was talking about. He wondered if there was something going on that he didn't know about but Klaus did. He had never not trusted Violet for as long as he knew her because she had always been trust worthy. Even though she complained often, she was one of the most loyal people he knew throughout his lifetime. Their relationship had always been based on trust and loyalty so there wasn't any doubt that Marcel couldn't believe in her actions.

"Why wouldn't I? She loves New Orleans as much as I do and she wouldn't let anything happen around here"

"Then why hasn't she killed the vampires responsible for Hayley's death? I'm heading that way anyway so you and Vincent need to find my brother" Klaus spoke and began to step away from him.

It was a fair enough question that puzzled him faintly. "I know Violet and so do you. We can trust her through this and I'm sure she already has a game plan on finding Elijah"

* * *

Violet on the other hand was having a hard time navigating through out the French Quarter. She had stopped by the penthouse and Greta's vampires were nowhere to be found. They more than likely scattered after hearing the two deaths considering they would have a large target on their backs. She had spent at least twenty minutes checking the place out for anything or any indication that Elijah had been there.

It was time to head back into the Quarter that was the biggest problem of all. Mardi Gras was an obvious New Orleans tradition and was a success every year. Parades had flooded the street weeks before and the closer it was getting meant more and more people were showing up. Violet had to navigate through back alleys half of the time to get somewhere and trying to find two vampires was a disaster from the start.

Her vampire hearing would hardly come in handy due to all the people and music so all she could do was keep her eyes open. Standing near the Jardin Gris, Violet leaned against the building and waited until a parade float had gone by. Trumpets and people were making the most noise and she couldn't concentrate on anything. It wasn't until she saw a familiar face on the opposite side of the street standing near a corner building. She swore it was Elijah Mikaelson but it was hard to picture him without a suit. The man had on a black t-shirt and dark jeans but the face was identical.

Moving through the crowd as quickly as she could, Violet had to peek between floats and people. There was no way she could cut across the street so she had to resort to her vampire abilities. Reaching near the end of the street, she attempted to cross in between two floats before one of them had shook his hands no at her. The only way Violet could make it across was to hid somewhere and zip around the street and hope not to get detected. Humans wouldn't be able to see her as fast as she was but it was putting a lot at risk. Huffing on the thought, Violet raced and zipped through the street luckily without being detected.

It also didn't help her that she was still considered short and couldn't see past a lot of people. With her height only reaching to about five foot six, Violet had wished she was able to see over the crowd of people. After what felt like forever, she brushed her bangs away from her face and calmly walked towards Elijah. She had stopped right next to him pretending to be interested in the parade and reached out to catch some beads.

"Some parade huh?" Violet asked him glancing his way, Elijah's eyes were locked on the floats as well. He hadn't answered her as she tucked the purple, gold and green beads in her pocket. "You from New Orleans?"

He had been standing there with his hands in his pockets when he realized that Violet had been talking to him. Looking her over, Elijah smirked faintly. "Not that I know of, how long does this go for?"

"Oh this is at least an hour long and there should be two following it. You sticking around for those too?" It was strange for her to talk to him since he didn't have any memory. In fact, Violet was having a hard time not staring at him.

"Only if my girlfriend wants to stay, I didn't know New Orleans was this busy…Are you from here?" He asked looking back at the floats.

"I'd like to say I'm born and raised but I only moved here years ago. I'm from Gentilly which still is part of New Orleans but back in the day things were different" Violet had wanted to drop some clues to see if he did know anything. Five years is a long time and for all he knew he could remember something. "I was born in the country, not the Quarter. Anyway, I'm Violet, you are?"

Offering her hand, she smiled warmly wanting to check out his daylight ring. She was curious to see if it was his Mikaelson one or if Greta had actually gotten some rings made. After a second, Violet slowly realized that he would see her ring and Elijah would know then and there she was a vampire. Of course he picked up on it after he introduced himself and she got a glimpse of his ring as well.

Folding his arms, he hadn't said anything else to her but kept taking a glance. "Can you tell me where Rousseau's is? I'm supposed to meet somewhere there and I don't know where it is"

Nodding, she smiled again. "Of course, you're actually right across the street from it. It's down there but I can show you a short cut in order to get there if you'd like"

"That would be great if you don't mind" Little did Elijah know that Violet had a whole plan up her sleeve. She wanted to get him away from everyone because she had already knew a place to take him. The only missing puzzle piece was his girlfriend who had to be lurking somewhere.

Elijah had put his hand out for her to lead but she needed him to be in front. She had taken the steps forward. "If we take this alley down on the opposite street, you can get to Rousseau's by the back instead of fighting all these people on the street. Hey, if you're interested I can give you some tips on this city on places to see and stuff"

Violet the tourist had been coming back and it almost reminded her of her little escapade with Dakota. After waiting for a float to pass by, the two vampires had ran across the street and she knew what alley to take him down. It was bound to be spotless because it was small and hardly known unless you were often on the street.

Glancing behind her shoulder, Violet spoke again since he had seemed very quite. "Not to pry or anything but I see you're a vampire, that's pretty cool" She spun in a circle and began walking backwards. Elijah had nearly stopped in his steps until she put her hand up. "You probably noticed this put I'm one too…A secret is a secret right?"

She needed to keep talking in order for him to not watch her every move. The reason she had her back away from him was because she had a vervain needle hidden in her back pocket. The leather jacket covered it so Violet needed to be sly about it. Elijah did stop once she held up her hand, she placed her hands on her back.

"I heard this place was filled with them…Is that true?" Elijah questioned.

Shrugging faintly, she responded, "Yeah but I keep a good, tight leash on them. You're looking at the Queen so anything you need around here, just ask me" Smiling again, Violet snuck her right hand into her back pocket and slid the cap off of the needle. "The backdoor is right around the corner but if you don't mind, I've have to tend to the festivities on the street"

Elijah had nodded and thanked her for her help. Rousseau's was way down the alley but she needed him to step in front of her. Violet started walking in his direction to look like she had been leaving and once he passed her, she quickly acted and stabbed him in the neck. With Elijah's strength, he had thrown her into one of the brick walls but he wasn't on any vervain and it hit him hard.

Once he sunk to the ground, Violet grabbed onto his arm in order to drag him from the scene. A few people had popped up from behind her and gave her a strange look. "My boyfriend gets so carried away at these things and had to much to drink. He's just passed out, nothing exciting to see" She said wanting to make it seem as normal as possible. It had been a couple and they began asking questions if she needed any help but she had the situation under control.

Once they disappeared, she had held onto his arm tighter and made her way down the alley. Violet needed Josh to come help her and her plan was to take him to the bar. The only issue now was that Elijah's girlfriend had heard the whole thing and was waiting to make her presence known.

"What are you doing with Elijah?" His girlfriend had questioned as Violet just reached the backdoor.

"Drunk tourist alert" She mocked knowing this had to be the mysterious girl she had been searching for. "I take it you're the girlfriend?" In all honesty Violet didn't know why she had attacked her because she was used to get into messy relationship fights.

"Well yes, I'm Antionette…What are you doing with him? What happened?"

"Look, you two are not looking good right now and I appreciate you not wanting to physically fight me because this would be a lot crazier if you did. Klaus and Elijah can't be in the same town while Klaus's daughter is home…Did you come here because of Greta's wonderful death?"

Antoinette looked a little surprised that Violet knew exactly who she was. She had bent down and ripped his lifeless body away from her hands wanting to keep him away. "She's wasn't exactly my Mother, you only turned me. I can get Elijah out of here"

Picking at her fingernail for a moment, Violet shook her head heavily. "Nope, you both get to stay for the holiday. Nothing will happen to Elijah if you come with me. I need to get him locked in a cell so some friends of mine can bring his memories back. I don't want to have to do what I did to him if you come with me voluntary"

It was Antoinette's chance to shake her head. "You can't do that…He can't have his memories back. Elijah has been free of the Mikaelson curse, if you break that"

"You're afraid he's not going to be in love with you anymore" Violet blurted out seeing it within her eyes. "I get it, I understand exactly where you are coming from but if this doesn't happen you are going to be hunted down by Klaus. What sounds better? Me taking you to a jail cell or Klaus shredding you to pieces and getting Elijah back?"

* * *

Violet knew that Antoinette was going to comply with her because she hadn't put up a fight. It was actually refreshing that she didn't have to pull out one of her old tricks and end up rolling around on the ground. There had been old holding cells in a plantation that she knew of and that way Elijah would be able to stay in hidden and out of sight for now. Once she locked them up, she sent both Vincent and Marcel a text in order to show up.

Antoinette had remained quiet while waiting for Elijah to wake up. Violet also didn't say anything and instead opted to lean up against a brick wall until her friends showed.

"And to think you doubted me, told you I knew what to do" She said once she saw Marcel and Vincent step inside.

"I didn't doubt you, that was all Klaus so don't jump on my back for it" Marcel responded looking into the cell.

Vincent was thankful that she had found him before anything happened. Klaus was one to deal with but they had to understand that in order to protect the city, they needed to protect Hope as well. "Freya wants you to get Josh and head out to the Quarter in two hours. Hope wants to get this funeral over and done with"

Narrowing her eyes, Violet leaned off the wall. "What funeral? It's happening today? I don't even have anything picked out to wear and I have to gather the vampires including Josh"

Looking his phone off, Marcel smirked. "Well you've got enough time but I'd suggest doing everything now. Vincent and I are hanging back to see if he can get his memory back"

Shifting her green eyes between them, Violet could tell they were dead serious. Huffing loudly and zipping away, she had a funeral to attend much to her displeasure.


	31. Bon sang ne saurait mentir

"So you think anything's gonna happen?" Josh had crossed his arms and looked over at Violet.

"God I hope not, it's a funeral and if those vampires whatever, the purists want to come tear this place up I have no problem ripping them limb from limb and showing the public my trophies"

She had also crossed her arms while leaning again a light pole. She had gotten Josh in order to go to the funeral and decided it was best not to drag the other vampires along. According to Freya, Hope didn't want to even have a funeral but she had convinced her otherwise. Hayley was a major part of the city and she deserved to go out in New Orleans fashion.

"You seem a little on edge today" He commented back while moving out of the way for a couple who were trying to walk by.

"Yeah well I've had a long ass day, actually make that four long ass years" Violet had seemed more snippy all of a sudden and Josh was wondering why.

He wasn't sure if he should have been talking anymore because she was answering him like she did to the vampires she hated. Josh knew she had a lot on her plate with everything going on ranging from Hayley, the Original family, the werewolves and probably the kids in Mystic Falls.

"Well you look good at least, you haven't aged a day" Josh figured he'd joke knowing she'd give him one of her smirks for the comment.

"I better because I didn't even have anything picked out. Marcel and Vincent rushed me away from Elijah and I grabbed the first black thing I could…I'm going to kill myself in these heels" Violet had her hair pulled into a ponytail and wore a knee length black dress. It had a low cut back and was too tight for her but it was getting warmer in the afternoon and she wasn't showing up in leather pants. The only time she wore dresses were on special occasions only and this was one of them.

"How is Elijah anyway? He really didn't remember you at all?"

"You had your memory compelled away didn't you before?" Violet believed he had told her a story about that because when Davina had erased his memory once, she hadn't been back in the city yet. "Well he's not in a suit, not using big fancy words that I need a dictionary for and has a girlfriend who knew he was a Mikaelson but hid him away. I think he's doing well…It's really not a bad idea anyway"

Josh had furrowed his eyebrows and cocked his head in her direction. That last sentence had caught him off guard. "What's not a bad idea?" Violet had squinted her eyes, trying to avoid the sun to look at him. "You would erase your memory? What about Marcel?"

"What about him?" She asked back pushing herself off the lamppost. Violet put her hand above her eyes to block out the sun. "Oh come on, you don't think it would be interesting? Erasing everything you know and living a completely new life, sounds like salvation to me"

Hearing a cell phone ring, Josh ripped his eyes away from her and checked his pants pocket. He had been holding onto their cellphones as Violet didn't have any pockets on her dress. Josh should have known it wasn't his that was ringing so he had automatically handed her the purple cased phone.

Checking the ID, Violet sighed before sliding her finger across the screen. "Now isn't a good time Jordan, what's going?" Pulling the phone away from her ear, she looked at Josh. "Let me know when the funeral starts" She said walking away for a moment.

Josh knew not to pry into listening and he would have only done that if it had been Marcel calling. The funeral was supposed to begin at any moment so he kept his eyes looking down Bourbon Street as well as on Violet. Waiting for at least another minute, he saw a group of people dressed in black turn the corner.

"Hey, Violet…I see Freya and Hope" He said looking over his shoulder at her. She nodded in his direction.

"I'll call Alaric tonight and you can talk to me then. I've got to go, the funeral is starting and I promise I'll call" He overheard her say and she hung up while jogging over, trying not to break her ankle in her high heels.

"Everything okay with them?" He asked seeing the parade of people march closer.

"Yeah, I guess they heard about Hayley and you know Jordan, always wanting to know about the werewolves. I swear that kid is going to grow up and become a pack leader" Both children were curious of their background but Jordan always wanted to know more.

The two vampires had remained quiet while listening to a trumpet player playing _When the Saints go Marching In_ , a traditional farewell song in the city. Freya had been standing next to Hope while being in front of dozens of faces that the vampires didn't recognize. Violet wondered where some of the wolves were but then she remembered they liked to do their own ceremony.

"This isn't right…My Mom wouldn't have wanted this" Hope had said to Freya, both Violet and Josh exchanged glances.

Freya had pointed faintly to them, she and Hope stepped over. "Thank you guys for being here, I know that things have been tense lately but I know she would have wanted you here"

Josh had nodded and offered a faint smile. It was Violet who spoke, "Of course, we weren't super close but paying our respects to Hayley had to be done. She was a good friend to all of us…I'm sorry for your loss"

Hope had seemed to not care and continued looking around Bourbon Street. Freya had squeezed her arm gently to keep them moving and she still seemed out of focus. After a moment, the two Mikaelson's continued walking while Josh and Violet stood in their place.

Picking up something with her vampire hearing, she looked past the band trying to figure out where the noise had been coming from. It had been a car and most people of the city knew that the streets were off limits when a funeral was going on. Seeing a black van pull up to the corner where Freya and Hope were heading, she had a bad feeling. Hitting Josh with her elbow, Violet pointed in that direction and marched that way the best she could with the heels.

Freya seemed to be wary of the car as well and stopped Hope from moving forward. The back doors to the van had opened which revealed the other problem that was still residing in the Quarter, the Purists. The leader Emmett, was dressed head to toe in black as well as the others. Violet had gotten everyone's rings back but these vampires were without them. The sun was still out so they couldn't leave the van.

He had smirked once he saw them and all the vampires seemed to camouflage behind him. Seconds later, bullets went flying and everyone began ducking for cover. The music had stopped and some of the New Orleans vampires who were hanging out on the streets began taking cover. Another van had approached doing the same thing and Freya covered Hope as quickly as she could.

Violet and Josh had been racing through the crowd with her in the back trying not to break her ankle in the shoes. Vamping out, she ordered Josh to check on Freya when she got struck in the shoulder. Screaming, she fell to her knees while Josh watched her from the distance. One of the vampires had sprinted out and searched for the bullet lodged in her shoulder.

"It's wooden, they are shooting wooden bullets!" She called out hoping Josh would hear her. Getting back to her feet, Violet was trying to think of a plan of action. She wasn't sure how many humans were around and that made the issue hard.

Determining that she didn't care if they saw or not, she didn't want anyone dying and protecting Hope had to be another priority. Josh had guided them to an alley and began making a course of action to help Violet. Some of the vampires had also jumped in order to do something but the Purists kept firing off.

Taking a breath, Violet zipped forward towards the van, dodging every bullet she could see. Standing in front of the black car, she reached into it and pulled one of the vampires out. Tossing them into the street, the man had burned up within seconds while she began to take at least three more bullets.

When she reached for Emmett, he had raised the gun to her chest and shot two more. Violet collapsed to the ground in pain as the wooden had been close to her heart. Josh now raced into the scene, picked her up and ran with his vampire speed. He had even taken one in the back which made the two fall down onto the sidewalk.

Hope had been the strongest creature on the street and she wanted to do something to stop the madness. Even though she didn't want to have a funeral for her Mother in the first place, she wasn't going to let anyone come in and try to stop it. Ripping her arm away from Freya, she began marching onto the street, her Aunt chasing after her.

Standing in the middle of the street, Hope had screamed and thrust her hands out to one of the trucks. Fire had shot out from her hands and went directly at the car. Emmett and the other vampires had nearly jumped out of their van watching the flames come out. The black car had immediately caught on fire and blew up within seconds of her using her power.

People were scattering all over which prompted Freya to quickly move and grab her. Luckily the bullet that hit Josh had went through completely and didn't lodge into his back compared to Violet where the vampires were trying to pull them from her chest. Josh had to take quick action and zipped into the scene. The explosion was huge and would have taken down the female Mikaelson's if it wasn't for his help. Emmett had ordered the vampires to go and they split out of there in seconds, trying not to get wrapped into the flames. For now, Bourbon Street had a mess on their hands but a funeral for a former friend had been more important.

* * *

An hour later, Freya had taken Hope back to the compound in order to calm down. Her emotional need was more important than anything going on and no one had any complaints to it. Josh and the vampires were doing their best to contain the problem and clean the streets. Violet had been lying on the couch in her apartment draining her second bloodbag.

The bullets had eventually came out and her dress was ruined but she was still in one piece. The funeral was going to continue out in the Bayou later that night so she had time to do what needed to be done for now. A knock had broke her from her thoughts so she picked herself up to answer the door.

Klaus had been paying her a visit after hearing about the incident. Rushing inside once she opened the back door, she moved out of the way and nearly dropped the bag. "A hello or even an invite would have been nice"

Closing the door, she unhooked the heels from her feet and threw them onto the wooden floor. "Are you coming to ask what happened?"

Walking a few feet into the room, he spun around to face her. "My Daughter decides to have a funeral for her Mother and this happens? Where were you, she could have easily gotten killed out there"

Rolling her eyes, he was going to criticize her. Violet had heard enough from Marcel over the past few days that she didn't want to hear it from him. Stepping past him, she calmly went back over to the black couch and laid back down. He had noticed the blood on her chest due to the dress having a swoop neckline and that made him question more.

"Well lets see…I had been trying to protect her until I got shot about eight times with wooden bullets and nearly died but that's not super important or anything. Hope is safe which I'm sure you already know so why are you exactly here?" She questioned.

"All I know is Hope decided to use her magic and destroy a car full of vampires" Klaus had stood next to a matching chair before sitting down.

"Okay, well the vampires decided trying to kill us, Hope came to save the day with her witchy woo powers and all is good. The werewolves are going to have Hayley's funeral in the bayou tonight" She had gone back to her blood bag and lifted his eyes towards him. "She's fine Klaus"

Violet knew the biggest part of the problem was that Hope's life could have been in danger. She understood what he meant now that she had to take care of two children herself. Before it had always been her close friends and Marcel that she cared about but things had shifted in the last few years. Klaus still couldn't be around his daughter and he wanted to be there for her during Hayley's death. Freya was still working on something and she seemed very close. They could be in the same city without problems but they still couldn't be face to face with one another.

"I'm following Marcel's old rule if it still helps. Children are off limits and she's included in it. As long as she is in New Orleans, I have to protect her. Nothing's going to happen to Hope because those vampires are dead for ruining this dress" It had become silent and Klaus seemed lost in his thoughts. It was strange for her to see him that way. "You know, I caught Elijah. Marcel and Vincent are working to get his memory back"

Shaking himself from his mind, Klaus had gave her a questioning look. "Elijah's here?"

Nodding, Violet drank the last few drops in the bag. "Yeah without a suit and tie. He and his girlfriend are currently locked away, I told you I know my way around the place" Violet knew she wasn't going to get a thank you but she was going to be receptive of any kind of gesture.

"I should go see him…See if he got his memory back yet" Standing up, Klaus pulled his cell phone from his pants, she assumed to dial Marcel.

"There hasn't been a breakthrough, I told Marcel to keep me updated and he has yet to answer with good news. I know you saw him in France but Elijah is doing fine. It's just weird seeing him with no memory"

When Klaus and Violet had their little excursion in Moscow, he had told her how he hunted Elijah down in France in order to find him. Things didn't go so well and that pushed him towards the deep end again. Klaus truly seemed lost without his brother and she had hoped that his memory would be back soon.

Violet had sat up straighter on the couch trying to think of something to say or do. "Focus on Hope, her Mother is dead and she needs her family"

"And how am I supposed to do that? I can't even go see her because of this curse" Turning around to see her again, he put the phone away.

"I don't know, why don't you call her or something?" Shaking his head, Violet sighed and got up herself. Smoothing out her dress, she walked over to him. "You can't just avoid her because you think you are a monster. Let's face it, we've all done things we're not proud of and we try to fix it. Hope knows you as one but change her mind. I was there years ago and I didn't do a good job, I'm in the same boat"

Klaus was wondering who she was talking about because he didn't know about Aaliyah and Jordan. It was still a kept secret with few people knowing. Thinking it over, it still hurt him that he was forced away from her. He wanted to be there for her more than every but Klaus couldn't get near her.

"I can't and you know that…Can you go talk to her?"

Taken off guard, Violet had blinked surprised as a reaction. "Me? I don't even know her, ask Freya to do it" She didn't want to sound harsh but she had been keeping her distance away from Hope. The Mikaelson family were still iffy to trust and Violet wasn't looking to be extended family to her.

"She needs an outside voice. Maybe she'll open up to you because she doesn't know you"

"I'm not Cami, I didn't take psychology classes in order to talk to a teenage girl Klaus"

* * *

Of course after Violet's last sentence, she had been walking into the compound. Lately, it seemed that everyone had been talking her into situations that she didn't want to be in. Trying to do Klaus another favor, she had said she would talk to Hope though it seemed like it was going to be pointless. She had to speak with Josh but it looked like the youngest Mikaelson was more important.

Standing in the courtyard, she looked around the compound in order to figure out where Hope's bedroom was. Moving up the stairs, she listened again for any kind of movement hoping she was going to find her. Turning to her left, Violet's heels had clicked on the stone and she knocked lightly on the second door. She really regretted wearing the shoes but she wanted look presentable walking around town.

Opening the door slightly, it had slammed back shut and that made Violet jump in response. She knew it was Hope's room because Freya wouldn't have slammed the door in her face. Besides that, she had texted her that she was coming by.

Whipping the door open in a flash, Violet closed it with a smile. "Look, I think we've been through enough excitement so let's not continue the fun stuff"

Hope was caught off guard thinking it had been her Aunt Freya coming to talk to her again. She didn't expect it being Violet as the two really didn't know each other. Despite Violet knowing her since she was born, she wanted to stay away from Hope. She had her reasons and she kept to them no matter what.

"What are you doing here?" She asked her wiping her cheeks of the tears that stained them.

"Your Dad asked me to come by and see how you were doing"

"You can tell him I'm fine"

Her short responses were clear that she didn't want Violet there but she couldn't just leave. Klaus had personally asked her to speak to her and she had to keep her end of the bargain. Leaning against the wall, Violet folded her arms and watched the girl.

"I could but that would be clearly a lie. I don't know about you but I'd rather my head stay on my body" Glancing around the room, she smirked to herself. "This was my first bedroom in the compound when Marcel got the place in 1919. I complained that it didn't have enough light before moving to the other side of the place" She commented trying to open up small talk.

Hope was standing in place, looking at Violet. She still didn't get why Klaus had sent her but she guessed there wasn't any other options. Both girls had remained quiet before Violet sighed out loud.

"Look, as Queen of this city I have every right to protect you. As long as you are in New Orleans my duty is to make sure you are okay. Kids are off limits and you're still technically a kid under my watch. I get that with your Mother being gone has affected you and…"

"And you what? Want to say you're sorry? You want to make sure that I don't lose control so your precious city stays in tact? I can protect myself, I don't need you to protect me" Hope had cut her off sharply.

Unfolding her arms, she narrowed her eyes at the young girl. "No I don't want you to lose control because that effects everyone here including your family and my friends. I came to check if you are okay So I'll just tell Klaus that you're alright"

Turning back around pilot was just going to leave. Hope wasn't going to budge and she wasn't going to wait around for answers. Violet still had to get to Josh and hope that not many people saw what happened out on the streets. On top of it the funeral was still later that night and she had to check with Marcel and Vincent about Elijah's memory.

Hope was having a hard time was Hayley's death that she didn't know how to put it into words. If Klaus had been able to be around she felt that things would be different but Freya was still working on the spell. Reaching for the door handle she opened the door right as hope had spoke.

"How do you do it? How do you carry on when you lose someone close to you? Isn't being a vampire like a curse? You lose everyone you love"

That sentence had made Violet pause in her tracks. Taking a deep breath she didn't close the door but she turned to face the girl. "You learn to live with it. I've lost more people than I can count but I have had no other option but to carry on. Sometimes we can't handle it and return our emotions off but it doesn't get any easier those in someone you love"

The room had become silent and Hope could feel her tears falling again. Violet had moderate people skills but when it came to a teenage girl that lost her mom things are different. She was lucky enough that Jordan and Aaliyah were easier to deal with but they were younger than she was. Later down the line however she was going to have to face this problem what the kids at some point.

"It's okay to be upset and it's okay to cry. I didn't know Haley that well but I know that influence she had on the people she loved. I know what it's like to have a hole in your heart without the person being here to fill it. My family is long gone But I've had Marcel to count on ever since I turned, but I've learned to live with the grief I've not only watching my family die in front of me but my friends as well"

Stepping more into the room again Violet had no choice but to comfort this girl. She had held her arms out faintly wondering if hope was going to accept the invitation or not. Hope had hesitated but with the sadness she was feeling she wanted someone to hold on to. Tucking herself in her arms Violet knew that hope would be okay considering she had the Mikaelson's still behind her back. It was only going to take time for learns to heal and for greater things to be shown.

* * *

Hours had gone by and that meant Hayley's funeral was starting up out and bayou. Lisina had been the one getting everything ready in order to send her off in proper werewolf fashion. It was swamp tradition that they did it their way and sent them off down the River while the entire pack was there. Freya had bent a spell where Klaus could be present as if it was just a dream. She had spoken to him after seeing hope and he needed to be there for his daughter. She and Josh had tagged along as usual as they were waiting for Vincent and Marcel.

"So that thing didn't work on a larger then?" Josh had asked ready for the day to be over. He still have to check back at the bar but Violet told him she would do that herself.

"Nope, hence the reason the two are showing for the funeral. It would have been all right if they would have stayed they were but nothing seems to be working at the moment"

Violet had been bent down delicately trying to rub some of the mud off of her legs. Once again she had forgotten she had heels on and headed out to the bayou which didn't exactly work in the damp ground. The wolves had been gathering while paying their respects to Hayley by putting flowers on top of her body. She had looked her own for Hope but couldn't see her anywhere.

Five minutes later Vincent and Marcel had showed up bringing their own flowers as well. Spotting the two vampires Marcel had stepped over to them where he had a smirk on his face. "What happened you?"

Rolling her eyes she wasn't in the mood for a sarcastic comment. Violet had been holding her black heels in her hand which were also full of mud. All the way up to her knees where brown spots and she was hating every second of it. "I decided to go from mud bath while on my way out here what does it look like? Go ahead and laugh but I got stuck in the mud…It's freezing out here"

Knowing that Violet hated the swamp Marcel would never find the situation not humorous. "You can never just come out here and not complain can you? Where is Hope at?" Slipping his jacket off, he offered it to her and Violet took it. It smelled like him and that made her shift her eyes away.

"Long story short free I found a way for Hope and Klaus to be together for the night. spending some much needed father and daughter time"

Vincent had said his hellos and stood next to Josh. Lisina had checked over the crowd wanted to make sure that everyone was there before she started anything. "Tonight we are celebrating the life of Hayley Marshall-Kenner who was not only our pack leader but a friend and mother…"


	32. Nightmares on Mikaelson Street

**~~Sorry for such a long update. I recently had to put my cat down and I've been having a hard time dealing with it. Fear not, here I am~~Reanna.**

The next few days in New Orleans was anything but peaceful. The city was still on edge after Hayley's death and Violet didn't know what to do. Each faction had been taking their time with one another but it wasn't like they were all going to come together. Problems were rising before but it seemed like things were spiraling and fast.

One of the main problems was that the Mikaelson family still resided in the city and Hope was willing to take the matter into her own hands. She wanted to go after anyone who was responsible for her Mother's death and she was reacting without any interference.

The day Hope decided to snap was not a good day for anyone within the city. Greta's vampires, as well as some floating all over the globe, had shown up in order to get their revenge. Violet had a good amount of vampires but not enough to handle the mess that formed. She, Marcel and Josh had led the vampires in a war that broke out in NOLA. Witches and werewolves stayed out of it and only acted if they were attacked so some of their allies had ducked out.

Massacring vampires left and right was something that the trio was good at considering that they have had enough experience to fight and battle. However, Hope Mikaelson was going to change the game for everyone with a plot to save certain people in the city. Her angry was growing and it was harmful considering that she had never gotten her witch powers perfectly developed or even under control. Freya had worked with her to do so but after Hayley's death, everything she taught her went out the window.

She had taken it upon herself to put the Mikaelson family in a dream state where they could all be together and safe. Hope wanted to wipe out the entire city with her sadness and rage feeling magnified. She also wanted to split the Hollow in order to have her family in one piece rather than scattered around the world.

"What in the bloody hell is this…" Kol stood in the middle of the compound looking around. "  
I was just peacefully sleeping with my wife and here I am"

Klaus and Rebekah had been there as well feeling that everything was off. The whole place felt strange and it was dead silent besides their movements. The siblings both knew that they were not in the real world but couldn't figure out where exactly they were.

"Your guess is as good as mine…" Rebekah commented back before going over to hug her you older brother. "Did you come dressed for the occasion?"

Kol had been standing there in sweatpants and no shirt. He looked more annoyed than anything but that was because he had distanced himself from the family for long enough. With the exception of Hope, no one had really gotten along with Davina ever since the drama that happened in New Orleans years ago. Klaus hadn't said anything but turned to his left when he heard feet approached.

Marcel and Vincent hadn't figured out a way to bring Elijah's memories back in time before all of this decided to go down. He had been stepping out from the gated entry and flickered his eyes between all of his siblings. He had no idea who they were nor did he know how he even got there in the 1st place.

"Elijah?..." Rebekah set out loud when she noticed him standing distances away. He couldn't figure out why they were staring back at him and he was finding it quite unnerving.

"I'm sorry but who are all of you?" He asked before looking around the place.

All of them had been standing in the courtyard giving each other a look. Kol hadn't heard about Elijah in quite a while so he still knew that he didn't have any other memories. Violet, Marcel, and Vincent had been the only ones who had seen him lately and he would have been able to recognize their faces more so than the Mikaelsons.

"Well isn't this fancy? We're stuck in whatever the hell we are stuck in and here is Elijah without any memory of who we are" Kol placed in his hands on his hips feeling annoyed all over again.

"Shut up Kol…I'm Rebekah, that is my idiot brother Kol as well as my other brother Klaus. Actually, we're family…I'm your sister and these two are your brothers"

"You can make that two sisters as well" Freya had stepped out as well from the winery all there right.

Elijah was still overwhelmed and more confused than ever. Antoinette had filled him in faintly about his family history but it wasn't like he believed he would even see them at all. It was a strange situation as they had been staring at him but he couldn't recall any faces.

"Who did this? What's going on?" Klaus asking walking towards his older sister.

Freya had hesitated to say anything because she was the one responsible for watching over Hope. Klaus didn't want her to take matters into her own hands as he told her he would fix what was going on with the Hollow. His daughter was growing stubborn just like he had been and Hayley's death was only sending her over the edge.

Now all the Mikaelson's had their eyes on Freya waiting for a response. Since they had been scattered all over the place, none of them were in New Orleans besides she, Elijah and Klaus. It was technically between two of them since the latter didn't have his memory.

Rebekah went to follow Klaus as well but stopped when she heard a loud crashing noise come from the far room to her left, one of the spare bedrooms on the bottom floor. The doors had ripped open and Marcel was rushing out into the middle of the compound when he froze.

"What the hell…How did all of you get here?"

Their attention now focused on him and for a very good reason. Marcel had been stained head to toe in blood due to the war that was raging out in the streets. His jacket and pants had various, large patches of red as well as his skin.

"What happened to you?" Rebekah asked, her eyes widened as she moved to his side now.

"Hope…Where am I?"

"What about my daughter?" Klaus asked with a quick flash on panic that read on his face.

The major questions that plagued the family were who, what, when and why. These questions made Elijah step out of the shadows a little more to understand what was going on as he was still in the dark. Klaus now took strides to Marcel and he felt that he just keeping stepping around everyone.

"Hope wanted to split the Hollow to get the Mikaelson family back together…"

Marcel couldn't finish his sentence as Klaus interrupted him to look at Freya. "And you didn't stop her? I told you to keep a close eye on her and you let her do this?"

"I tried! I didn't have any idea of what she was doing because do you think if I knew that I would let it happen? Vincent and I were trying to figure out what we could do"

It wasn't a secret that Hope had been losing her grip within two days. She was having a hard time dealing with the loss of her mother as well as not having family support due to the Hollow. Freya had taught Hope enough magic but it wasn't as if she wasn't learning anything at the Salvatore Boarding School. She had brought it up to her Aunt before but never acted on that much witchcraft.

As they began bickering back at forth, Kol had taken a look at the scenery. With Elijah seemingly having no idea where he was, he began to put everything together. He wasn't going to enlighten his siblings and rather keep quiet.

"You know, none of that explains why littler Marcellus is covered in blood" He said loud enough hoping to get their attention.

Rebekah took it upon herself to jump in because Kol had a very valid point. They still didn't understand why he was there or why they were for that matter. It had taken a few minutes to get them to shut up and she turned to Marcel waiting for him to tell everyone.

"All the factions started an all-out war. I think everyone was on edge and figure out that Hope was going to do something like drowning the whole city while repairing your family" It was clear that Marcel still had bitter feelings towards the Mikaelson's. "Some of those vampires came back and half of them I've never even seen before. Violet, Josh and I were trying to keep control of everything but it was disaster…Violet asked me to stop Hope while she and Josh continued to take control of the streets" His voice had trailed off when he realized he had been the only trapped in there.

"Where was Hope?" Klaus asked again in a not so calm matter.

"The church, she had everything she needed in order to stop the Hollow. The problem was if she did that, she had no idea who was going to make it out alive…" It finally clicked in Marcel's mind. "That's why we are all here, she doesn't want any of us to stop her"

None of them had heard the footsteps that were upstairs and standing next to the balcony. "I can't contest that theory…" All of the Mikaelson's and Marcel had looked up rather quickly and saw Violet. She had her elbow resting on the railing with her chin in her palm, she must have been listening to that whole time. "Marcel is right, I think Hope's going to destroy New Orleans"

"Who else is going to pop in next?" Kol commented with the roll of his eyes.

"Oh, believe me, I'd rather be out on the streets fighting for my life than be stuck in here with all of you" Stepping away from the balcony, Violet walked down the stairs not paying any attention to them. She had looked the same as Marcel so their story was right on the dot. Her long sleeve lavender colored shirt was stained in patches as well, her blonde hair was curled yet streaked with blood. Violet's legs were a mixture of blood and what looked like mud as she was in shorts.

"Are you alright? Where is Josh?" Marcel asked turning his full focus on her.

"I'm just a barrel of sunshine" She said sarcastically before becoming serious. "Last I knew, Josh was still on the street, I told him I would go handle Hope because you never came back and I was scared" For a moment, Violet's face showed concern for Marcel but in an instant, it was gone. "I confronted her and what she was doing. The last thing I said was she was going to kill us all and then I awoke to the sound of your voices, particularly Klaus who was screaming like a mad man. Oh and just for another precaution, Elijah is a major part of this"

Now the whole family turned to him as he stood there still confused. He could follow what they were saying but at the same time, he didn't know who this Hope person was. Flickering his eyes between all of them trying to piece who was who and who belonged to what group. Even though he knew it was his family, sides still seemed to be present. Kol was off to the side by himself, Klaus and Freya were side by side due to the fact that they were arguing. Violet and Marcel were right next to each other with Rebekah next to him but off to the side. Hope was the missing factor.

Violet took it upon herself to continue. "Despite throwing people left and right out of the church, I got to have a faint talk with her. She said she was willing to break the Hollow and put it into herself in order to bring you all back together. Hope wants to bring his memories back before she does anything and we are trapped in a dream world in order to get Elijah's memories back and us out of here"

At that moment, Kol had everything figured out. Due to him being a witch, he knew all of the tricks and trades. On top of it, he had shown Hope things over video chat so he knew faintly about her plan to begin with. He started by explaining how splitting the Hollow would work while they were inside of the dream state. It would then go into Hope's body and she would have to fight in order to keep everything under control.

The thing he was having trouble figuring out is how she could bring Elijah's memory back while he wasn't fully awake. If Marcel and Vincent had already tried and couldn't get through, he wondered what Hope had up her sleeve in order to bring his memories forward. As he started to go through everything, Freya had pitched in realizing at the same time about what she was up to.

Freya came to the conclusion that the only way they could get out was to find what had been holding them back inside of there. There had to be missing pieces to the puzzle that each of them had to find but Elijah's was going to be troublesome without any memory.

Violet hadn't wanted to help any of them knowing she had just been thrown in there because she tried stopping Hope, the same as Marcel. It was a Mikaelson family problem so the two of them were in there for a completely different reason. They both had hoped to get out with the family so Violet had taken a sit on the edge of the fountain.

All of the siblings had gone separate ways to look for what they needed with Marcel offering to find Elijah's. He had stayed back watching everyone move into different areas of the compound before taking a seat at one of the little tables across from Violet.

She had looked him over for a moment. "You remember me right? The girl who vervained you and locked you and your girlfriend in a cell?" She questioned making sure he didn't have a short term memory. "Can I ask you something personal?" Asking another question, she glanced around the place before speaking.

Elijah had stared back at her and nodded faintly. He had nothing better to do but sit there as he wouldn't be much help to anybody anyway.

"What's it like? Having no memory of anything or anybody?" She asked lowly before focusing her attention on him fully, it had been a question on her mind since she re-met him.

"I don't know, I don't know what kind of life I had before this. The things I've gathered are things that I wouldn't even imagine of doing. I don't know who this Hope person is or who Hayley is either that I heard about yesterday. To know that I have been alive for a thousand years without any knowledge of it…I don't know what to think about it"

"I'll tell you what, you were the life of the party" Violet had joked knowing he wasn't going to get it but it gave her some amusement. "You walked around in a suit, throwing out fancy big words and prided yourself on being a Mikaelson. You're not the Elijah I knew but I can't say I don't like this version because you speak normal and in words I understand"

Antoinette had filled him in on his previous life but it was still something he was having a hard time grasping. Always and forever had been thrown out the window and he had only believed in himself and his current beau. He could tell that his siblings were close and that he had seen their faces throughout the years, like Rebekah pretending to be someone she wasn't. A part of him wanted to know what his former self was like and become that person again but a part of him didn't want the baggage.

Violet had sighed before looking at him again. "To be honest, I'm a little jealous of the life you have. To have no recollection of anybody or anything, all the hurt that has gathered throughout the years suddenly slips away. I have to say it must be nice"

"You seem put together from when I met you the other day…How do I know you again?" Elijah asked realizing that she hadn't told him.

"Old family friend so to speak. You and your brother Klaus had taken in Marcel, raised him and he later turned into a vampire. Later down the line, I met him and Marcel ended up saving my life from a disease that was spreading around town. I became a vampire and lived with you and your family for years upon years but that's ancient history. Now that I think about it, I've killed you before" Violet had said it wanting to see what he was going to think of that remark.

He did raise his eyes in surprise then gave her a wary expression. Shifting in his seat, Elijah now wondered if he should even trust or listen to her after hearing that.

"I'm put together on the outside but the inside is a mess. These last years have been a living hell and I'd do anything to walk in your shoes. I could go where I wanted without having to worry about anything. I may be the Queen of the city but that doesn't mean that the queen can't falter. Look at that, I used an Elijah word, fancy enough?"

Breaking herself from the conversation, she had stood up and thrown some of the water on her arms and legs. The blood had mostly dried and she would need a full on shower but wanted to get some of it off. Sighing loudly, she walked away from him, Elijah's keeping his eyes locked on her.

After wandering the compound for however many minutes, Violet had paused outside of the room that Rebekah was in. She had bumped into Kol and Freya earlier who had found their missing part but she hadn't stopped to talk to either one of them. The reason she stopped at Rebekah's old bedroom door was that she could hear her throwing things around in order to find what she was looking for.

"I hope whatever you're doing in here doesn't carry over into the real world…Then again, I don't live here anymore so I wouldn't mind the mess. That's Klaus's problem to deal with" Violet spoke as she quietly entered the room.

The blonde Mikaelson had turned around sharply once she heard the voice, it had taken her by surprise. "I don't know what in the bloody hell I'm supposed to be looking for"

Shrugging faintly, she walked around the mess that was all over and plopped onto the bed. "Don't ask me, I'm just an innocent bystander as always. It has to be something sentimental, ever hid anything anywhere? Maybe it's the ring that you turned Marcel down with"

Pausing at her pettiness, Rebekah moved towards the bookcase. She had taken a few books into her arms and flipped through them wondering and hoping if something was going to fall out of one. She wasn't in the mood to argue over Marcel with Violet considering they were trapped in a dream-like state.

"What about that necklace you always used to wear?" Violet chimed in watching her with curiosity. "Pearls? That blue pendant that you used to boast about constantly? Maybe a bouquet of roses that were left on your doorstep that you thought was from Marcel when they were actually from me?"

She had only wanted to get under Rebekah's skin for all of the times that she had done that to her in recent years. Violet had things to say to her face but this wasn't one of the times and she knew that…It didn't stop her from making a few comments however.

"Get out…I don't need to hear it from you when I'm trapped here" Rebekah said as calmly as she could.

"What if I don't? You can't do anything about it so I think I'll just relax and wait for you to get us out of here. Kol and Freya found theirs, let's hope the rest of you three find it"

Laying back on the bed, Violet placed an arm behind her head and watched her with a faint smile. Rebekah had rolled her eyes, threw some books onto the floor and continued on. She felt that she had a pair of eyes watching her which was the truth. After checking the entire bookshelf, Rebekah turned away from it and stared around the room.

"You're just really getting enjoyment out of this, aren't you?" She questioned Violet.

"Oh I'm just here because I tried stopping your niece from ruining my home but I guess I can find something amusing so I don't suffer from boredom. Ever think that it's not even in here?"

"Let me guess, you probably have what I'm looking for?"

In all honesty, Violet had no idea what Rebekah could be looking for. She hadn't lifted a finger in helping anyone so she didn't know what item she was looking for. Violet did enjoy making her think she had something and right as she walked towards the bed, Marcel popped in through the door.

"Did you find it yet? I got Elijah's and I think Klaus found his"

He had stopped talking when he looked between the female vampires. Taking more of an interest in Violet, Marcel figured that she was starting trouble. He hadn't seen Rebekah in a while so he was trying to avoid her because things weren't settled between them yet.

"No, I haven't, I don't even know what I'm supposed to be looking for" Rebekah said ripping her eyes away from him.

Violet sat up on the bed and ruffled her hair faintly. "Check the floorboard, you might have something hidden in there"

Pausing at the thought, Rebekah glanced at the rug that covered the wooden floor. She had completely forgotten that she once had a hiding spot in the floor and hid things occasionally from Klaus. Feeling like that was right where she was supposed to look, she lifted the rug and noticed a piece of floorboard that was a different color than the others. Scratching at it, Rebekah finally caught a corner of it and lifted it, catching a pearl necklace that shined in the light.

"How did you know?..." She asked her reaching inside and pulling it out.

"If my memory serves me correct, you received the pearls from one of those famous suitors you had back in the day. I was jealous as always and wanted to wear them one night but you said no. Klaus ended up killing the guy and you told me that you hid them in the floor if I wanted to borrow them though you didn't think I'd give them back. It's all about memory Rebekah, I tend to remember a lot of things"

Standing up and stretching, Violet had told her the partial truth. In actuality, Klaus had taken Violet out for one of her famous ripper feedings and she accidentally killed the guy but Klaus took the fall so she wouldn't have murdered her.

"By the way, you're lucky I knew how to put the jewelry back together because I actually broke the original chain the pearls were on and then I fixed it"

Squeezing out of the door, she couldn't help but bump into him on the way out. Marcel couldn't help but smirk and faintly laugh at her remark where Rebekah still seemed so curious to the whole situation. "Are you two trouble in paradise lovebirds coming or am I going down myself?" Violet called out to them.

Letting Rebekah go out first, he trailed behind her as Violet led the trio down to the main floor of the compound. All of the Mikaelson family were already there and waiting for the next thing.

"So…Are we still on a scavenger hunt or can we get out of here? Actually, how does finding these objects get us out?" Violet asked walking back over to the fountain.

"She has a point, I mean we all found what we were supposed to and we have no idea how to get out"

Kol was going to interject when he noticed the door that led to the basement had a light underneath it. He hadn't remembered a light being there and wonder if this was the exact clue they needed. He didn't say a word and wander off from the group to the door. All of them had still been saying what they thought until he decided to call them over.

All of the vampires had quit arguing and made their way towards Kol. He had already started trying to pry open the door but he couldn't get it to budge even with his vampire strength. Standing in the very back of the group was Elijah who had a confused look on his face but felt that it was a message for him. He had made his way through the vampires, moved Kol out of the way faintly and tried the door which worked.

Next thing they all knew, everyone was scattered on the floor of the church with Hope standing near the main entrance. Her back had been facing all of them but she spun around when she heard all of the commotion. It was her way of getting Elijah's memories back and it looked like it worked.

Violet had picked herself up off of the ground and was the first thing to say something. "Please tell me that you left this city in one piece…"

Hope had nodded faintly wanting to see if everything had worked properly. She had gotten her family out but the memory thing was something she had been concerned about. The youngest Mikaelson had experimented with her magic and hoped that it was going to be a good outcome.

Everyone else had done the same thing as Violet but Elijah had seemed more bewildered than usual. Looking around the church, it had occurred to him everything that had been said in the last few days and his memory was back. "Hayley…" He called out making everyone turn to him.

It clicked all at once that Elijah's memories were there and everyone could see the pain was starting to show. Violet wasn't going to wait around and watch the scene unfold so she quickly zipped out of there without a goodbye. She wanted to find Josh to make sure that he was okay because she trusted Hope in keeping New Orleans in one piece. It had also been quiet so things had to be calm since she had been gone.

Heading to the bar first, she knew it was the first place to look because if Josh wasn't home, then he was there. Practically breaking the door to get inside, she looked at the disaster that was inside. Broken glass, alcohol, tables and chairs shattered were scattered all over the place. It had looked like a hurricane came and destroyed the inside but left everything on the outside fine.

Kicking some of the broken pieces out of the way, Violet had called out Josh's name and he came rushing out of the kitchen. He looked the same as she did with blood sprayed all over him. Feeling a sense of relief, Josh made his way across and pulled her into a hug.

"Thank God, I thought Hope killed you and I was going to have to run this city by myself" He said as Violet nearly fell over once he grabbed her.

"You can't get rid of me that easy, you know that" She joked trying to pull back. "Uh Josh…I'm not dead so you can let go of me now"

"Sorry, I didn't realize I was holding you too tight" Josh said while pulling away from her. "Wait a minute, is everything okay? Where is Marcel?"

Taking a breath, she looked at him for a second. She wondered how long it had been so she glanced around for the clock which was somehow still on the wall. Violet couldn't believe that an hour had passed which was a short amount of time but it felt like fifteen minutes in that dream state. The two of them had a lot to cover over what had happened but she thought she'd tell him first.

"Well…I went to find him and stop Hope in the church and guess where I ended up? I was trapped with the Mikaelson's in some thing that I don't even know what it was where they had to find an object to get out" Facing him again, Josh looked confused as ever. "We got out, Elijah's magically has his memories back and I need a shower"


	33. A Date and a Reunion

New Orleans was still a ticking time bomb but luckily for the Queen things were calming down. Klaus was able to get Hope to go back to Mystic Falls for a mini vacation. She had taken time out of school but needed out of the city for a couple of days. She had been complaining that all she did was go in-between states but she needed someone to help with her witch craft. Besides Freya, they had all hoped that Alaric would have something up his sleeve to help the Mikaelson witch.

Elijah hadn't been heard from since he had regained his memory and found out about Hayley's death. Antoinette was no where to be found as well so on that end it was quiet as well. Rebekah had gone back to New York after the family reunion and Marcel was trying to make contact with her but there was no answer. Kol wasn't going to stay around either as he wanted to be back with Davina is California.

Once again, Violet had the city mostly to herself with Klaus being the only residing in it until Hope and Freya came home. While things decided to slow down, Violet wanted to get back to the things she had been doing before. That meant checking on the vampires float for Mardi Gras, decorating her apartment and avoiding Josh trying to set her up on a date. The last was impossible as he had already had plans in mind.

Setting her up on a blind date was something Josh had been trying to do for a while as Violet never wanted to go through with it. She felt like giving herself a break and let loose for a while, even if he was the one that set it up.

Sitting Rousseaus's by herself, Josh stopped by the table she was sitting at. Violet had been looking around the place but grab her phone to toy around on. "That's a bad cover Violet, I came to bring you a drink" Setting down a shot of vodka, Violet reached forward and took the whole bottle.

"Thanks but I'd rather take this" She said before taking a long drink. "It's been a half hour Josh, the guy isn't coming" Placing the bottle of the table, she threw her phone onto it as well.

"Oh come on, just because he's late doesn't mean anything. Besides, you got all dressed up and he'd be upset that he missed it. Give it a few more minutes"

Giving him a look, she was skeptical. Violet did however give herself credit for looking good because she had taken time to get ready. She wore a gold sequence that cut off at the knee and a black tank top tucked inside. She paired it with black heels, some gold bracelets and the little Fleur de Lis necklace that she took back from Marcel. Violet's hair was pulled into a curly ponytail, her lipstick was light and the gold eyeshadow popped out her green eyes. She looked like a Queen that bathed in gold, the exact look she was going for.

"I think I'll drink this bottle, have another and go home. Actually, I find a nice local that I can take with me and drown my sorrows by draining them. That sounds much better than thinking I had a date to begin with"

Josh had given her a strange look by the tone of her voice. He thought the person he had set her up with was a good match but it seemed like they back out. "Well…It's a shame because I think you're little Bayou date would have been nice"

That had Violet nearly jump out of her chair. "You set me up with a wolf? Are you kidding me?"

Smiling at her reaction, Josh began walking away. "You'll never know but hey, it keeps your imagination going"

Glaring at him, Violet reached for the bottle again and grabbed the shot glasses that Josh had set down. It did make her wonder but there was no way she would have stayed if the guy had been a werewolf. Her history with the wolves was rich but it was something she was running away from. Violet was never going to admit that she had a soft spot for the supernatural kind. Taking a shot, she leaned back in the chair and sighed heavily. Reaching for her phone again, Violet was debating on calling a variety of people but she decided not to.

Violet was the only one in the bar as it was a slow night due to all the drama that had been going on in the city. She and Josh were the only two inside besides the quiet jazz music that played from one of the speakers. The door opening snapped her from her thoughts but she didn't want to turn around to see who it was. Hearing the footsteps, Violet sat quietly until someone appeared into her view.

"I don't think I've ever seen this place this empty before" Marcel said mostly to himself as he approached Violet's table. Grabbing the other chair, he sat down in it and looked her over. "You look charming as ever, who's the lucky guy?"

"You apparently. Please tell me that you are not the guy that I'm trying to meet"

Marcel had threw his hands out with a shrug. "I take it you are the date that Josh insisted I meet" Sighing heavily again, Violet looked around the place for Josh who was nowhere to be found. "Can't complain with you looking like that"

Standing up from the chair, Violet ducked behind the bar for another shot glass. Sitting back down, she poured the clear liquid into the glasses and slid one his way. Marcel had been dressed in a maroon long sleeve shirt and black pants. Taking the glass, he watched her drown the two before he even got to his.

"You know Marcel, if this were years ago I probably would have been thrilled, now…Considering our history I still should be. I'd rub it all in Rebekah's face but guess what? You wouldn't stay if I asked so why should I even bother?"

"You're never going to let the past go, are you?" Marcel knew how stubborn Violet was so it was a pointless question. At the same time, he knew what he did was wrong and there wasn't anything he could do to change it. "Look, I didn't know the whole plan anyway so you can't blame me for this"

"Josh wanted to be funny and torture me as well" She said nonchalantly without a thought behind it. "This is depressing. I thought I'd be on a hot date but no, I'm stuck with you"

"Oh so I'm not hot enough for you anymore?" Marcel had joked which received a smirk from her. "Don't make me do karaoke and make you change your mind"

Rolling her eyes at the thought, she groaned. "Please don't do that. How many times did I have to watch you do that in the 90's? If you wanted the bar to yourself you could just ask because you'll scare me out if you start lip syncing to a bad song again"

The one thing that always benefited both vampires were their memories together. Their history would always be tied together, their city life would always be connected and the memories would never fade. Whenever they were around each other different thoughts would come about and they couldn't help but recall them.

Marcel had to laugh at her calling him out. Before he could answer however, Josh appeared at their side. "Marcel? When did you arrive?"

The elder vampires had looked away from one another and turned to him. "Very funny Josh, you could have told me what you were trying to pull" Marcel said.

"Yeah and I wouldn't have gotten this dressed up"

"I'm still not complaining" Marcel commented with another smirk on his face.

That sentence made Josh smile widely. In all honesty, he had missed the two of them together. New Orleans wasn't the same without Violet and Marcel, especially with them being a team. He never had a problem with Rebekah but he had been friends with the latter. It was something that he was going to try and set up and hope for the best result.

"Marcel, you proposed to the girl you chose over me. Do you really think I'm going to forgive you because I look this damn good?" She questioned and the tone had shifted once again. Josh frowned at her words. "Trust me, if I knew she wasn't in the picture I probably would have took my shot at this point. I'm also sure that if Rebekah wasn't around, you would have backed me into a corner. I'm not going to be played again"

Pouring another shot, she drowned it quickly then stood up. Offering a faint smile to Josh, he sighed realizing it was a bad idea. Hanging his head, he glanced at Marcel with a faint smile as well. "Thanks Josh but I think I should just go home"

Grabbing her black handbag from the table, she patted his shoulder and started walking towards the door. Violet wanted to get out of there instead of being faced in a situation that she didn't want to be in. Hesitating for a moment, Marcel had gotten up and trailed behind her.

"At least let me walk you home, it's the least I can do"

Pausing while holding the door open, Violet's green eyes looked at him. "What? Afraid to have a female walking alone at night? Or are you just worried I'd go on a killing spree again? I mean, my artwork did look pretty good in the compound the other night, didn't it?"

Giving her a look after that remark, he held the door open for her to step out first. "Klaus didn't find it pretty, in fact I had to talk him down from coming after you that night"

"You really think the big bad wolf frightens me? I hate to say it but I haven't been scared of him since the 1800's"

Waiting for him on the sidewalk, Marcel had stepped next to her while she slipped an arm through his. Shaking his head with a smile, they walked down Bourbon Street with the silence between them. Violet was trying to find peace in the situation and that meant she had to make amends with Marcel no matter the cost. Marcel however just wanted her not to hate him considering all of their history together.

Walking for a few more moments, they reached her two story white home. Violet had stopped in her tracks and that made Marcel do the same. "What is it Vi?" He asked looked between the home and her.

"I didn't leave my balcony doors open…" She pointed to the second story balcony where the French doors were wide open. "I'm not ruining another good outfit in blood so gentlemen first"

Leading him to the back door, she turned the knob knowing that she had locked it when she left. Pushing it open, Violet held her hand out for Marcel to go in first. He had been on guard as well clearly knowing what had been going on in the city. He wasn't going to let anything happen to her so he had no problem going first.

Once he made his way inside, he glanced around the place and waved for her to step inside. It was completely quiet and there was no one in sight. At the same time, nothing was out of the ordinary except for a couple of travel bags that were sitting on the floor next to the kitchen counter. Cocking her head at them, Violet snapped her fingers to get his attention. She pointed at them with a confused look until they heard a bag upstairs.

That made both vampires pause and look up towards the ceiling. Violet then made the decision to act first due to the fact that someone was in her home. Zipping up the spiral stairs, she came to a halt when she saw the two in front of her.

Violet had vamped out on her way up there and she no had to revert her face back to normal. Marcel trailed behind her quickly, looked at them as well before catching her face out the corner of his eye.

Aaliyah had been sitting on the purple bedspread with a candle jar sitting at her feet, that was what must have made the noise. Jordan was standing in the bathroom hallway with a bored expression on his face.

"How did you two get in here?" Violet asked taking the rest of a deep breath in order to calm herself down.

Marcel crossed his arms flickering his eyes between them. "A better question is why are you two not in school?"

Aaliyah bent forward and picked up the candle. "It's spring break, remember? You knew we were coming and we decided to show up early. Surprise!" She smiled warmly before hopping off the bed to give them a hug. "Did you two go on a date?"

Both vampires still seemed confused for the moment until the realization hit Violet. Raising a hand to her head, she covered her eyes for a second then spoke. "It's Spring Break and it was my time to have you, wasn't it? How did you even get from Mystic Falls to New Orleans? I was supposed to pick you up". She hadn't answered the last part of Aaliyah's question.

Violet walked towards the bed and sat down next to Aaliyah. She looked between them for an answer before laying her eyes on Jordan. She knew that it had something to do with him once the room went quiet. "Well?..."

Jordan rolled his eyes once everyone began staring at him. "I asked a kid in school to get in touch with Lisina so she came to get it. I kinda told her that you already knew and you were okay with it since she was bringing him back into the bayou anyway. Like Aaliyah said, it was a surprise but you two don't seem thrilled…Actually, Marcel why are you in New Orleans?"

The three had now shifted their eyes towards Marcel who even looked surprised to them looking at him. "Hold a minute, you two lied first off and second, how did you not know it was spring break?" He questioned the kids before glancing at Violet. She then pointed to Jordan for him to answer his question. "Third, Hope Mikaelson called to ask if I could help with something"

Aaliyah frowned at her name and turned to Violet. "Is it true? Is her Mom really dead?" She asked softly.

Even though Aaliyah and Jordan were much younger than Hope, they still knew each other due to their relations. Marcel even asked hope to keep an eye at times on the latter because Jordan could cause trouble and take his sister with him. With Aaliyah being ten and a half and Jordan being twelve, they were starting to become a handful.

Violet nodded slowly at her and that made Jordan step out of the bathroom a little bit more. He hadn't said anything but walk towards the staircase. Marcel watched him knowing exactly what he was doing as he didn't want to hear anything about someone losing parents. Between the Badeaux-Gerard siblings, Jordan struggled more so with the past.

"Where are you going?" Violet asked watching him.

"Down to our bedroom, or do I need to be on a leash again?" Jordan called out jogging down and to the room that they shared on the bottom floor.

Aaliyah wanted to follow him because she didn't want him going through her things. Jumping up from the bed, she waved at Marcel and Violet before heading down the stairs as well. The vampires listened to the kids argue for a moment until he walked over to her.

"What are we going to do? We can't let them stay in the city with all this drama going on. Hope will be back, I'm sure our favorite vampires will be making an appearance and we have two kids to watch" Violet spoke looking at him.

Marcel shrugged his shoulders for a second. "I'm not the one that I had them this time around, how could you forget they were coming?"

"I don't know Marcel, maybe it's because my life has been a living hell for the last couple of weeks. Vampires running all over the city, the Mikaelson's constantly coming and going, one that just got his memory back with a girlfriend I've never heard of, Hayley's death which is a blow to all factions and let's see, oh and I attended her funeral and got nailed with bullets" Violet took a breath while naming off a variety of things. "Look, can't you just take them back to New York for a while?"

Shaking his head heavily, Marcel disagreed with her comment. "No way, Rebekah is at our apartment and I'm not about to hear it from her once I bring two kids that I have even told her I'm taking care of with me. Second, you need me here with Emmett and his guys running around. If something happens to you while I'm not here…" He stopped talking and looked at her seriously.

Taking a breath, she gripped the bridge of her nose and tried coming up with a plan. "Alright, I'll come up with something, I'll have Vincent put a protection spell on the house in order to keep them safe" Violet had more to say but she had gotten interrupted by Aaliyah from downstairs who said her phone was ringing.

Standing back up, she brushed past Marcel had jogged down the stairs. She had her phone tucked inside of the little purse she took with her earlier so she moved into the kitchen. Looking at the caller ID, Violet answered and greeted Vincent with a simple hello. Marcel had taken his time coming down the stairs and felt his own phone ring in his pocket. He raised a finger to stop Aaliyah from asking him a question and answered as well.

She sat patiently and waited for them to finish their phone call. Marcel was off the phone first and watched Violet until she was finished. "Klaus needs me for something" He spoke which made Violet sigh.

"Are you kidding me? Something's going on with the witches and Vincent needed my help"

Both vampires had forgot that the two children were still present, Aaliyah looked at them with her large brown eyes in confusion. "I was just going to say I'm hungry…"

Rubbing her face again, Violet wasn't entirely sure what to do with the kids. She couldn't ask Vincent to do a protection spell now considering he needed her help at the moment. Freya was more than likely helping Klaus so she was out of question as well. Violet wasn't willing to trust any New Orleans besides Vincent so they needed to think of a plan.

"Lisina is building the float with the werewolves, you think she'd watch them for a while?" She offered much to Aaliyah's displeasure.

"We have to leave? Can't Vincent just wait and can't Hope's Dad ask someone else?"

"I'll take them to Lisina, you go meet with Klaus and see what's going on with him. We'll meet back up with these two unless I hear from you sooner"

Jordan had just stepped out of the bedroom with an irritated expression reading his face. "I just got here, why do I want to go decorate a float? I wanna sit here and play video games"

Crossing her arms in defense, Violet could tell that Jordan's attitude was starting to show. It was like that often and it was something that she had expected. Part of her thought that he'd want to spend some time with the wolves because he was very in touch with his wolf side. Jordan asked more questions about his kind rather than Aaliyah, he also loved learning about the history.

"I'll tell you what, you guys get to come with me in my fancy sports car to hang out and decorate a Mardi Gras float. Afterwards when the dust is settled, I'll make you guys dinner, you can play your video games after you eat and all is well"

The young boy looked to be thinking it over before quickly shaking his head no. "Fat chance, nice try Violet but I'm staying put where I'm at"

"No you're not and that's final" Marcel spoke with a tone in his voice that showed he wasn't messing around. "Get your things, get in Violet's car and hang out with your pack for a while. Besides, you were begging to go out into the swamp months ago, well it's not the bayou but it's your people. You're going whether you want to or not"

After arguing with Jordan for at least ten minutes, she had finally got the siblings in her famous purple car. Dropping them off with Lisina was needed, especially that she needed to have a talk with the werewolf. Violet still couldn't believe that they were out of school for a week and not only did she have to watch them, she had to keep her eye on the city as well. Even though she didn't say it aloud, Violet was grateful that Marcel was back in NOLA in order to help her.

When she arrived at the graveyard where all the witches hung out, she could see Vincent pacing back and forth outside of a large mausoleum. Violet knew from the second she saw him that the news he was going to tell her was bad. She hadn't even bothered to change from her outfit and she was having a hard time walking on the stones with her heels. Vincent turned his head to the noise, quickly made his way in her direction and grabbed her arm when he reached her.

"They're dead…All of them are dead, I couldn't stop it" He spoke with pure panic in his voice.

Violet's green eyes had widened for a moment as she felt his hand grip her. He trembled faintly as she studied him before looking past his shoulders. "Who is dead? Vincent, what is going on?"

"Emmett and his vampires killed Ivy; they killed the witches. Shy was dying when I got here, something about some spell on them…He's targeting every faction in the city"

She knew that Ivy had been hanging around with Vincent a lot and that the two were hitting it off. Violet had mentioned that he seemed happier with her in his life, she knew what it was like to lose someone. Ripping herself away from him, her heels clicked on the stone as she marched towards the mausoleum in order to look the scene over. Wherever Emmett was hiding, Violet was going to find him.

Seeing Ivy's body up against the wall in a sitting position really solidified what was going on. Five other witches were scattered within the building and Violet went to every single one. She wanted to see who they were in order to figure out if they were part of the New Orleans coven like Ivy and Vincent or if they were from a different one. She had only recognized three of them as the NOLA coven so it was possible that the other two were not part of it. Standing back up, Violet could feel her veins on fire at the new problem she had to face.

Once she turned around, Vincent had been standing in the hallway watching her. "What are you going to do about this? How much more blood needs to be shed until you decide to stop this?"

It was self-explanatory that Vincent was angry with her, he was rightfully so. Violet placed her hand on her hips as she took some steps towards him. "We're going to find him Vincent…"

He raised his right hand to stop her. "No, I've been hearing this for a while and you've done nothing. Hayley's dead because you made a mistake having Josh watch Greta. You let them into the city during her funeral in order to kill her daughter, not to mention almost getting killed yourself. This city was at peace while you and Marcel were lying in your graves. I didn't have to worry about the people I care about. Who's next? It is going to be me, Hope, hell maybe it's going to be you. I don't think I'm going to stick around to find out"

Violet's mouth had popped open while Vincent was telling her what had been on his mind. She knew he was angry and she didn't blame him, she just didn't think he was going to go off on her. It was the truth as Violet had been putting Emmett in the past rather than looking for him herself. Shifting her eyes towards the wall, she didn't have much to say.

Clearing her throat, Violet walked away and past him. Vincent had watched her quietly not feeling any ounce of guilt for what he told her. Remembering a piece of information that he needed to tell her, he followed her back out into the night.

"Emmett's going after the werewolves next. I thought you should know that" Vincent said.

Whipping around at his words, Violet had been feet ahead of him but she quickly stepped back over. "What do you mean he's going after the wolves? He knows where they are?"

Shrugging lightly, he wasn't sure but he remembered Ivy telling him that the werewolves were next on the list. Vincent could tell now something was wrong with her as her eyes lit up with fear. Violet sometimes could hide her emotions easily, especially if she were scared. He could see the same thing he was feeling.

"Violet, what's wrong?"

Blinking without saying a word, Violet began stepping backwards while staring at him. "Aaliyah and Jordan are with the werewolves…" Zipping off before Vincent could answer her, he was in shock as well. Rushing off after her, Vincent's disadvantage was that he was human and could only run at human speed.

Violet didn't bother calling Marcel to let him know what was going on, she just wanted to get there quick enough in order to save the Badeaux-Gerard children. Zipping through the streets of New Orleans was easy as it wasn't an extremely busy night as there were no festival going on. Stopping in place one she saw the float in sight, Violet picked up her walking to a light jog. Everything was still the same and she didn't see anything wrong.

"Aaliyah! Jordan! All of you need to get out of the way!" She yelled causing some of them to look at her one she approached them. Violet was tossing her hands out trying to move them along as she pushed past the wolves. There was nothing in sight that she could see but her gut was telling her differently.

Seeing the two kids in the distance, she called out for them again and it finally got their attention. Violet however went to take another step forward until an explosion had gone off out of nowhere. She went to use her vampire speed again in order to save them but it was a chain reaction. The last thing she saw were the two kids flying away from the scene, whether it was from the planted bomb or a someone grabbing them. Running to a halt, Violet had been in front of another parade float which she knew had a bomb on it as well.

Looking up, she searched for the kids but couldn't see them through the dust. Violet braced herself as the explosion went off, her body being tossed onto the street.


End file.
